RDM NEWS SWEKEEN may 03 2020

RDM weekend news
BEHIND PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ACTION
Behind President Trump’s action to
protect America’s food supply
30 April 2020
President Trump is using the Defense
Production Act to ensure that Americans
have a reliable supply of beef, pork, and
poultry during the global Coronavirus
pandemic.
Food supply is critical infrastructure,
essential to the health and safety of every
American citizen. Recent actions in some
states have led to the complete closure of
large processing facilities, which can quickly
affect meat availability in all parts of the
country.
The closure of a single plant can eliminate
more than 80 percent of the supply of a
particular meat—say, ground beef—for an
entire grocery store chain. All told, the
failure to keep facilities open could force
millions of pounds of meat to disappear from
the market, potentially causing long-term
disruptions to America’s supply chain.
With President Trump’s executive order this
week, the Department of Agriculture can ensure
U.S. meat and poultry processors continue to
operate uninterrupted to the maximum extent
possible. To protect worker safety, processors
will continue to follow the latest guidance from
the CDC and the Occupational Safety & Health
Administration.
“The United States of America is undergoing the
fastest industrial mobilization since World War
II,” White House Director of Trade and
Manufacturing Policy Peter Navarro says. The
President’s use of “the Defense Production Act is
a key part of that mobilization.”
President Trump met with New Jersey Gov. Phil
Murphy (D) in the Oval Office today, discussing
the state’s Coronavirus response and its plans for
a great economic comeback
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RDM WEEKEND NEWS
PRESIDENT TRUMP ON SUPPORTING OUR
NATION'S SMALL BUSINESSES THROUGH THE
PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM
Administrator of the U.S. Small Business and U.S. Treasury Secretary
Steven T. Mnuchin issued the following statement today on the
resumption of the Payroll Protection Program (PPP):
“We are pleased that President Trump has signed into law the
Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act,
which provides critical additional funding for American workers and
small businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic. We want to
thank Leader McConnell, Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, and
Leader McCarthy for working with us on a bipartisan basis to ensure
that the Paycheck Protection Program is funded so that small
businesses can keep hardworking Americans on the payroll.
“The Small Business Administration will resume accepting PPP
loan applications on Monday, April 27 at 10:30 AM EDT from
approved lenders on behalf of any eligible borrower. This will ensure
that SBA has properly coded the system to account for changes made
by the legislation.
“The PPP has supported more than 1.66 million small businesses and
protected over 30 million jobs for hardworking Americans. With the
additional funds appropriated by Congress, tens of millions of
additional workers will benefit from this critical relief.
“We encourage all approved lenders to process loan applications
previously submitted by eligible borrowers and disburse funds
expeditiously. All eligible borrowers who need these funds should
work with an approved lender to apply. Borrowers should carefully
review PPP regulations and guidance and the certifications required
to obtain a loan.
“The Trump Administration is fully committed to
ensuring that America’s workers and small businesses
continue to get the resources they need to get through this
challenging time.”
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RDM WEEKEND NEWS
CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)
TÍTULO DE IMAGEN. The Writw House news Conference al live.
President Donald Trump
announced updated guidelines this week to continue slowing
the spread of Coronavirus in America.
NOMBRE DEL AUTOR WhiteHouse
FECHA APRIL 18, 2020
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Good afternoon. We
continue to see a number of positive signs that the virus has passed its
peak. It’s been very devastating all over the world. A hundred and
eighty-four countries. Probably more. That number was as of a week
ago.
While we mourn the tragic loss of life — and you can’t mourn it any
stronger than we’re mourning it — the United States has produced
dramatically better health outcomes than any other country, with the
possible exception of Germany. And I think we’re as good or better.
On a per capita basis — remember that: On a per capita basis, our
mortality rate is far lower than other nations of Western Europe, with the
lone exception of possibly Germany. This includes the UK, Switzerland,
Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, France. Spain, for example, has a
mortality rate that is nearly four times that of the United States, but you
don’t hear that. You hear we have more death. But we’re much bigger
countries than any of those countries by far.
Texas and Vermont will allow certain businesses to open on Monday
while still requiring appropriate social distancing precautions. And I can
tell you the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, he knows what he’s doing.
He’s a great governor. He knows exactly what he’s doing
Montana will begin lifting restrictions on Friday.
Ohio, North Dakota, and Idaho have advised nonessential
businesses to prepare for a phased opening
starting May 1st.
Throughout this crisis, my administration has taken
unprecedented actions to rush economic relief to
our citizens. As an example, you don’t hear any
more about ventilators.
Through the Paycheck Protection Program, we’ve
already processed nearly $350 billion to 1.6 million
small businesses across the nation to keep
American workers on the payroll.
As we enter the next stage of our battle, we are
continuing our relentless effort to destroy the virus.
My administration is taking steps to protect highrisk
communities by providing funding for 13,000
community health center sites and mobile medical
stations.
We’re going to be helping other countries very
soon. We’re going to be helping Mexico. I spoke
with the President of Mexico. He’s great. A great
guy. And I told him we’re going to be helping him.
They desperately, in Mexico, need ventilators, and
I told him we’re going to be helping him very
substantially. We’re in a position to do that. We’re
building, now, thousands a week. And they’re
coming in rapidly, and they’re very, very high
quality. I think we’re doing very well.
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RDM WEEKEND NEWS
NEWS POLITICS RDM
Remarks by President Trump Celebrating
America’s Truckers
APRIL 16, 2020
THE PRESIDENT:
That’s beautiful stuff.
They are beautiful,
beautiful trucks. That’s
the real deal. You
wouldn’t switch jobs
with anybody, would
you? Huh?
THE PRESIDENT: You wouldn’t I
know the truckers. They wouldn’t
switch with anybody. It’s what they
love, right? That’s why they’re good
at it. These are the best too.
Well, thank you all for being here as
we celebrate some of the heroes of
our nation’s great struggle against the
coronavirus: our brave, bold, and
incredible truckers. And look at that
equipment they’re the best made and
great companies also, and companies
that have really helped us a lot. We
appreciate that.
At a time of widespread shutdowns,
truck drivers form the lifeblood of our
economy — and the absolute
lifeblood. For days, and sometimes
weeks on end, truck drivers leave
their homes and deliver supplies that
American families need and count on
during this national crisis and at all
other times. They’re always
there. Their routes connect every
farm, hospital, manufacturer,
business, and community in the
country.
In the war against the virus, American
truckers are the foot soldiers who are
really carrying us to victory. And
they are. They’ve done an incredible
job. We’ve had no problems. It’s
been just it’s been just great, and we
want to thank you very much. It’s
really great. We have a little special a
little special award too.
To every trucker listening over the
radio or behind the wheel, I know I
speak for the 330 million-plus
Americans that we say: Thank God
for truckers. That’ll be our theme:
Thank God for truckers.
On this special occasion, when we
honor the truck drivers of America,
I’m grateful to be joined by Secretary
of Transportation Elaine Chao, who’s
doing a fantastic job, and the CEO of
the American Trucking Association,
Chris Spear.
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RDM WEEKEND NEWS
NEWS HEALTH RDM
Investigational chimp adenovirus MERS-CoV vaccine protects
monkeys
VACCINE NEUTRALIZES MULTIPLE MERS-COV STRAINS. VIERNES 17 DE ABRIL DE 2020
What
An investigational vaccine called
ChAdOx1 MERS protected two
groups of rhesus macaques from
disease caused by Middle East
respiratory syndrome coronavirus
(MERS-CoV). MERS-CoV is a
relative of the severe acute respiratory
syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-
2), which causes coronavirus disease
2019 (COVID-19). National Institutes
of Health scientists and colleagues are
pursuing similar studies with
ChAdOx1 SARS2, a vaccine
candidate against SARS-CoV-2. They
posted their results (link is external)
with ChAdOx1 MERS on a preprint
server. The findings are not yet peerreviewed
but are being shared to assist
the public health response to COVID-
19.
ChAdOx1 MERS, which uses a
replication-deficient chimpanzee
adenovirus to deliver a MERS-CoV
protein in recipients, also worked
against six different strains of MERS-
CoV when tested in mice as a single
vaccination. Scientists from NIH’s
National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at Rocky
Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton,
Mont., led the project. Collaborators
work at the University of Oxford in the
United Kingdom; researchers at the
University of Oxford Jenner Institute
developed the ChAdOx1 vaccine
technology.
Human cases of MERS-CoV were first reported in Saudi Arabia
in 2012; dromedary camels are also infected with the virus and
likely transmit it to people. MERS-CoV causes disease deep in
the lungs, leading to pneumonia among infected individuals.
Through January 2020, the World Health Organization had
received reports of 2,519 MERS-CoV cases and 866 deaths in
27 countries.
In the macaque study, one group of animals was vaccinated 28
days prior to infection; the other group received two
vaccinations—a prime-boost strategy—56 and 28 days prior to
infection. A third group of monkeys served as controls. The
scientists report that none of the animals in the two treatment
groups developed signs of MERS-CoV disease. The prime-boost
group clearly had less virus in lung tissue compared to the
control group and no evidence of replicating virus, while the
prime-only group showed much less virus in tissue than the
control group. Both treatment groups showed no lung damage
and were protected from disease, unlike the control animals.
The scientists’ MERS-CoV macaque study follows earlier
studies of the experimental vaccine in mice. They also have
successfully tested the vaccine platform against Nipah virus in
hamsters and against Lassa virus in guinea pigs; they next plan
to expedite testing a vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2.
The MERS vaccine is being studied in Phase 1 human clinical
trials in the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. The same
chimpanzee adenovirus vaccine platform also is being assessed
for malaria, HIV, influenza, hepatitis C, tuberculosis and Ebola.
Vincent Munster, Ph.D., and Marshall Bloom, M.D., of NIAID’s Laboratory of
Virology, are available to comment on this study.
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RDM WEEKEND NEWS
NEWS POLITICS RDM
"Protect our children"
About the author António Guterres.
António Guterres is the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations, who took
office on 1st January 2017.
As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads across the globe, we are seeing
an alarming pattern.
The poorest and most vulnerable members of society are being hardest
hit, both by the pandemic and the response.
I am especially concerned about the well-being of the world’s
children.
Thankfully, children have so far been largely spared from the most
severe symptoms of the disease.
But their lives are being totally upended.
I appeal to families everywhere, and leaders at all levels: protect our
children.
Today we are launching a report that highlights the risks they face.
First, education.
Almost all students are now out of school. Some schools are offering
distance learning, but this is not available to all.
Children in countries with slow and expensive Internet services are
severely disadvantaged.
Second, food.
A staggering 310 million schoolchildren – nearly half of the world’s
total – rely on school for a regular source of daily nutrition.
Even before Covid-19 the world faced unacceptable rates of childhood
malnutrition and stunting.
We must act now on each of these threats to our children. Leaders must
do everything in their power to cushion the impact of the pandemic.
Third, safety.
With children out of school, their
communities in lockdown and a
global recession biting deeper,
family stress levels are rising.
Children are both victims and
witnesses of domestic violence and
abuse.
With schools closed, an important
early warning mechanism is
missing.
There is also a danger that girls will
drop out of school, leading to an
increase in teenage pregnancies.
And we must not ignore the
growing risks children are facing
from online violence, abuse and
exploitation.
Social media companies have a
special responsibility to protect the
vulnerable.
Fourth, health. Reduced household
income will force poor families to
cut back on essential health and
food expenditures, particularly
affecting children, pregnant
women, and breastfeeding mothers.
Polio vaccination campaigns have
been suspended. Measles
immunization campaigns have
stopped in at least 23 countries. And
as health services become
overwhelmed, sick children are less
able to access care.
With the global recession gathering
pace, there could be hundreds of
thousands additional child deaths in
2020.
These are just some of the findings
of the report we are issuing today.
Its conclusion is clear.
Let us protect our
children and safeguard
their well-being.
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RDM WEEKEND NEWS
NEWS RDM
G20 Health Ministers Coordinate Efforts to Combat
COVID-19
Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, April 19, 2020
The G20 Health Ministers held a virtual meeting
today to further coordinate efforts in combatting
COVID-19.
G20 Ministers emphasized that people’s health and
well-being are at the heart of all decisions taken to
protect lives, tackle illness, strengthen global health
security, and alleviate the socio-economic impacts
resulting from COVID-19. They also shared
national experiences and adopted preventative
measures to contain the pandemic.
Health Ministers recognized that the COVID-19
pandemic has highlighted systemic weaknesses in
health systems. It also has shown vulnerabilities in
the global community’s ability to prevent and
respond to pandemic threats. Ministers addressed
the need to improve the effectiveness of global
health systems by
sharing knowledge and closing the gap in response
capabilities and readiness.
Ministers echoed G20 Leaders’ concern regarding
the risks posed by the pandemic to developing and
least developed countries, where health systems and
economies may be less able to cope with the
challenge.
The meeting also addressed necessary actions to
improve pandemic preparedness, the importance of
utilizing digital solutions in current and future
pandemics, the emphasis on patient safety and the
importance of improving value in health systems as
well as antimicrobial resistance.
G20 Health Ministers will take any further actions
that may be required to contain the pandemic and
will reconvene again as necessary.
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RDM WEEKEND NEWS
NEWS FINANCE RDM
Statement by OPEC Secretary General
Oil price plummets 92%
NOMBRE DEL AUTOR HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo,
OPEC Secretary General 16 April 2020
The Organization of the Petroleum
Exporting Countries would like to update
the distinguished delegates to
the International Monetary and Finance
Committee (IMFC) on current oil market
conditions and developments.
The global oil market showed relative
stability and ended 2019 on a positive note,
despite economic headwinds and high
uncertainties regarding ongoing trade
disputes, Brexit and geopolitical
developments throughout the year. At the
beginning of 2020, there were signals that
the economy would rebound from the
slowdown in the second half of the previous
year, with global economic activity,
including global trade and industrial
production, expected to pick up.
Furthermore, despite strong growth in non-
OPEC production, the global oil market
remained well balanced, owing to the strong
conformity of OPEC and participating non-
OPEC producing countries in
the Declaration of Cooperation (DoC) of an
exceptionally high 145% in 2019, which
played a major role in improving oil market
conditions and market stability.
However, instead of the expected pick-up in
activity in 2020, the global economy and,
consequently, the global oil market were
drawn into one of the most severe crises in
recent history, caused by the COVID-
19 pandemic. Countries around the world
have virtually shut down, imposing travel
restrictions and mandating social-distancing
measures in an effort to contain the
pandemic. These measures have not only
severely affected global economic growth,
they have also caused a historic demand
shock in the oil market, which has led to
extreme volatility in oil prices. Concerns
about this grave oil market imbalance, which
would inevitably lead to massive global oil
stock overhangs in coming months, led to oil
prices dropping significantly in late March
to below $20/b, the lowest level in nearly 18
years. Oil prices lost about two-thirds of
their value over 1Q20.
Given current market conditions and the massive oil demand
destruction so far, OPEC, together with other producing countries
participating in the DoC, held an Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting
on 9 April 2020 to address the huge market volatility and fast
growing global oil imbalance, taking an immediate decision to avoid
further deterioration in the market. The agreement to once again
adjust production is expected to be implemented as of 1 May,
necessitating a further revision of the non-OPEC supply and
supply/demand balance outlook for the rest of the year in the days
and weeks to come. Furthermore, the Meeting welcomed the strong
support of other producing countries and states participating in the
Meeting to make voluntary contributions and called for
comprehensive international cooperation to stabilize the global oil
market and prevent extensive and lasting damage to the oil industry.
Following global economic growth of 2.9% in 2019, the world
economy is forecast to face a severe recession in 2020, declining by
1.1%. Despite slight signs of improvement at the beginning of the
year, expectations for global economic growth were burdened by the
carry-over of weak 4Q19 data in several key economies, which has
been significantly worsened by the strong impact of the COVID-19
pandemic. Economic developments in these times of COVID-19 are
proving to be unique. ontrary to comparable economic shocks, the
global economy is witnessing a combination of a supply and a
demand shock, together with severe disruption in the financial
markets.
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RDM WEEKEND NEWS
Moreover, the impact of COVID-19 is exacerbated by high global
debt levels, the ongoing general slowdown in world trade, as well as
challenges in manufacturing caused by slowing capital expenditure
in some key economies and by the global deceleration of the
automotive industry. The underlying key assumption for the 2020
GDP growth forecast is that the impact of COVID-19 related
developments outside China will be felt most in 2Q20, when world
GDP is expected to contract by at least 8%.
Therefore, most regions are forecast to see a slowdown through
2Q20, recovering only towards the second half of 3Q20. China’s
trajectory is forecast to see a sharp deceleration in 1Q20, and to a
lesser extent in 2Q20, before recovering in 2H20. By 4Q20, global
activity is assumed to have almost normalized. Nevertheless,
depending on future developments, further downside risk remains.
Positively, the sharp downturn is counter-balanced by
unprecedented government-led stimulus measures designed to offset
the negative economic consequences. Based on OPEC Secretariat
estimates, the global stimulus measures in the form of fiscal and
monetary stimulus, including guarantees, amount to around $15
trillion, or about 17% of global GDP, and constitute the largest
stimulus efforts ever undertaken.
Importantly, the fast growing imbalance in oil markets is also taking
a significant toll on global economic growth. Therefore, a recovery
in the oil sector may provide further support to global economic
development.
Within the OECD group of countries, the US is forecast to
experience a strong contraction in 2Q20, following a lesser decline
in 1Q20. While the considerable fiscal and monetary stimulus
measures will provide a good base for recovery in 2H20, growth is
forecast to decline by 3.5% in 2020, following growth of 2.3% in
2019. An even larger decline is seen in the Euro-zone, where
economic activity is forecast to fall by 6.0% in 2020, compared to
growth of 1.2% in 2019. Following a largely declining Euro-zone
economy in 1H20, fiscal and monetary measures are expected to
support a recovery in 2H20. Japan is forecast to decline by 3.3% in
2020, compared to growth of 0.7% in 2019. After the government’s
sales tax increase in 4Q19, the economy experienced negative
growth in 4Q19 and now faces additional rising challenges amid the
COVID-19 crisis. A stimulus package of up to 20% of Japan’s GDP
will counterbalance some of the downside in 1H20 and support
growth in 2H20.
COVID-19 is also expected to take its toll on emerging markets.
While China has been particularly affected since the beginning of
the year, the situation now seems to be under control. Following
growth of 6.1% in 2019, Chinas’ 2020 GDP is forecast to grow by
1.5%, mainly due to a sharp contraction in 1Q20.
For 2020, COVID-19, the ensuing
global economic recession and oil
demand destruction are forecast to
impact world oil supply
substantially. Oil companies have
announced reductions in planned
capital expenditure amid sharp
declines in oil price levels. Global
E&P spending for 2020 is forecast to
drop by 20% and is now estimated at
$450 billion, the lowest level in 13
years. Before the COVID-19
pandemic, upstream investment was
expected to remain flat y-o-y. Non-
OPEC liquids supply (including
processing gains) for 2020 was
revised lower by around 1.6 mb/d
from previous estimations and was
expected to grow by 0.16 mb/d.
These numbers, however, will
require further revisions as the
outcome of the recent meeting and
decision unfolds and begin to take
effect. Given the fluidity of ongoing
developments, the non-OPEC
supply forecast for 2020 faces a
large amount of uncertainty, mainly
with regard to oil demand, oil price
levels and spending by E&P
companies.
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RDM WEEKEND NEWS
NEWS FINANCE RDM
A GLOBAL CRISIS LIKE NO OTHER
NEEDS A GLOBAL RESPONSE LIKE NO OTHER
BY KRISTALINA GEORGIEVA
IMFD
I have been saying for a while that this is a ‘crisis like no other.
• More complex, with interlinked shocks to our health and our
economies that have brought our way of life to an-almost complete
stop;
• More uncertain, as we are learning only gradually how to treat the
novel virus, make containment most effective, and restart our
economies; and
• Truly global. Pandemics don’t respect borders, neither do the
economic shocks they cause.
•
The outlook is dire. We expect global economic activity to decline on a scale
we have not seen since the Great Depression.
This year 170 countries will see income per capita go down – only months
ago we were projecting 160 economies to register positive per capita income
growth.
Actions taken
Exceptional times call for exceptional action. In many ways, there has been
a ‘response like no other’ from the IMF’s membership.
Governments all over the world have taken unprecedented action to fight the
pandemic—to save lives, to protect their societies and economies. Fiscal
measures so far have amounted to about $8 trillion and central banks have
undertaken massive (in some cases, unlimited) liquidity injections.
For our part, the IMF has $1 trillion lending capacity – 4 times more than at
the outset of the Global Financial Crisis—at the service of its 189 member
countries. Recognizing the characteristics of this crisis—global and fastmoving
such that early action is far more valuable and impactful—we have
sought to maximize our capacity to provide financial resources quickly,
especially for low-income members.
In this regard, we have strengthened our arsenal and taken exceptional
measures in just these two months.
These actions include:
• Doubling the IMF’s emergency, rapid-disbursing capacity to
meet expected demand of about $100 billion. 103 countries have
approached us for emergency financing, and our Executive Board
will have considered about half of these requests by the end of the
month.
• Reforming our Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust, to
help 29 of our poorest and most vulnerable members—of which 23
are in Africa—through rapid debt service relief, and we are working
with donors to increase our debt relief resources by $1.4
billion. Thanks to the generosity of the UK, Japan, Germany, the
Netherlands, Singapore, and China, we are able to provide
immediate relief to our poorest members.
• Aiming to triple our concessional funding via our Poverty
Reduction and Growth Trust for the most vulnerable countries.
We are seeking $17 billion in new loan resources and, in this respect,
I am heartened by pledges from Japan, France, UK, Canada, and
Australia promising commitments totaling $11.7 billion, taking us to
about 70 percent of the resources needed towards this goal.
• Supporting a suspension of official bilateral debt repayments for the
poorest countries through end 2020—a ground-breaking accord
among G20 countries. This is worth about $12 billion to nations most
in need. And calling for private sector creditors to participate on
comparable terms—which could add a further $8 billion of relief.
• Establishing a new short-term liquidity line that can help countries
strengthen economic stability and confidence.
This is the package of actions that the International Monetary and
Financial Committee endorsed last week at our virtual Spring
Meetings.
Preparing for recovery
To help lay the foundations for a strong recovery, our
policy advice will need to adapt to evolving realities. We
need to have a better understanding of the specific
challenges, risks and tradeoffs facing every country as
they gradually restart their economies.
Key questions include how long to maintain the
extraordinary stimulus and unconventional policy
measures, and how to unwind them; dealing with high
unemployment and ‘lower-for-longer’ interest rates;
preserving financial stability; and, where needed,
facilitating sectoral adjustment and private sector debt
workouts.
We also must not forget about long-standing challenges
that require a collective response, such as reigniting trade
as an engine for growth; sharing the benefits of fintech
and digital transformation which have demonstrated their
usefulness during this crisis; and combating climate
change—where stimulus to reinforce the recovery could
also be guided to advance a green and climate resilient
economy.
Finally, in the new post-COVID-19 world, we simply
cannot take social cohesion for granted. So we must
support countries’ efforts in calibrating their social
policies to reduce inequality, protect vulnerable people,
and promote access to opportunities for all.
This is a moment that tests our humanity. It must be met
with solidarity.
There is much uncertainty about the shape of our future.
But we can also embrace this crisis as an opportunity—to
craft a different and better future together.
It represents a powerful policy response. Above all, it enables the
IMF to get immediate, ‘here and now’ support to countries and
people in desperate need. Today.
Kristalina Georgieva is the Managing Director of the
IMF.
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RDM WEEKEND NEWS
NEWS RELEASES RDM
NIH moviliza iniciativa nacional de innovación
para el diagnóstico COVID-19 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020
Initiative aims to speed delivery of accurate, easy-to-use, scalable tests to all Americans.
The National Institutes of Health today announced a new initiative
aimed at speeding innovation, development and commercialization
of COVID-19 testing technologies, a pivotal component needed to
return to normal during this unprecedented global pandemic. With
a $1.5 billion investment from federal stimulus funding, the newly
launched Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative will
infuse funding into early innovative technologies to speed
development of rapid and widely accessible COVID-19 testing. At
the same time, NIH will seek opportunities to move more advanced
diagnostic technologies swiftly through the development pipeline
toward commercialization and broad availability. NIH will work
closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention and the Biomedical Advanced
Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to advance these
goals.
The stimulus investment supercharges NIH’s strong research
efforts already underway focused on prevention and treatment of
COVID-19, including the recently announced planned Accelerating
COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines public-private
partnership to coordinate the international research response to the
pandemic.
“We need all innovators, from the basement to the boardroom, to
come together to advance diagnostic technologies, no matter where
they are in development,” said NIH Director Francis S. Collins,
M.D., Ph.D. “Now is the time for that unmatched American
ingenuity to bring the best and most innovative technologies
forward to make testing for COVID-19 widely available.”
As part of this initiative, NIH is urging all scientists and inventors
with a rapid testing technology to compete in a national COVID-19
testing challenge for a share of up to $500 million over all phases
of development. The technologies will be put through a highly
competitive, rapid three-phase selection process to identify the best
candidates for at-home or point-of-care tests for COVID-19.
Finalists will be matched with technical, business and
manufacturing experts to increase the odds of success. If certain
selected technologies are already relatively far along in
development, they can be put on a separate track and be
immediately advanced to the appropriate step in the
commercialization process. The goal is to make millions of accurate
and easy-to-use tests per week available to all Americans by the end
of summer 2020, and even more in time for the flu season.
“Americans are innovators and makers,” said Bruce J. Tromberg,
Ph.D., director of NIH’s National Institute of Biomedical Imaging
and Bioengineering (NIBIB). “We need American tech experts,
innovators and entrepreneurs to step up to one of the toughest
challenges we’ve faced as a country, to help get us safely back to
public spaces.”
While diagnostic testing has long been a mainstay of public
health, newer technologies offer patient- and user-friendly
designs, mobile-device integration, reduced cost and increased
accessibility both at home and at the point of care. RADx will
expand the Point-of-Care Technologies Research Network
(POCTRN) established several years ago by NIBIB. The
network will use a flexible, rapid process to infuse funding and
enhance technology designs at key stages of development, with
expertise from technology innovators, entrepreneurs and
business leaders across the country. POCTRN supports
hundreds of investigators from multiple universities and
businesses through five technology hubs:
• Emory University/Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta
• Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
• Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
• University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester
• Consortia for Improving Medicine with Innovation &
Technology (CIMIT) at Harvard Medical
School/Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
Led by the Coordinating Center at CIMIT, the network has
assembled expert review boards covering scientific, clinical,
regulatory and business domains that will rapidly evaluate
technology proposals. In order to roll out new products starting
at the end of summer/fall 2020, a rapid, parallel process will
allow quick throughput of projects. Projects will be assessed at
each milestone and must demonstrate significant progress to
receive continued support.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the
nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes
and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary
federal agency conducting and supporting basic,
clinical, and translational medical research, and is
investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both
common and rare diseases. For more information about
NIH and its programs,
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NEWS SPECIAL COLLABORATION RDM
COVID-19, THE PANDEMIC OF DOUBTS
HOW TO MANAGE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION RELATED TO THIS
HEALTH CRISIS.
By: Dr. Waldo Castro, MD, MD-Ayurveda
Since the end of 2019, what we know as Covid-19
appeared in Wuhan City, Hubei province China. Initially
ignored beyond what seemed like one more incident of the
many we have seen emerging in China and around the
world from viral diseases.
The subsequent spread and contagion of this virus came as
we know to unimaginable magnitudes both by the number
of cases in certain populations and by the global
dispersion. leading to it being classified as a global
pandemic.
The biggest problem we have experienced with this
pandemic is DISINFORMATION and PANIC.
Disinformation or even misinformation stems from two
causes. First, there is the lack of scientific experience in
relation to this Coronavirus mutation, which appears to
have taken everyone by surprise ...this is of course solely
based on what we are being told. Second, we live in an era
where virtually everyone has at their fingertips mass
media broadcasting of all sorts, where one can act both as
a consumer and a producer of information; in these
environments checks and balances are at best lax. Some
people even with good intentions, spread news without
verification of sources or veracity of content ...this type of
misinformation is particularly harmful, because it is
organic and grass roots in its nature, with no apparent
special interest or agenda; allowing it to easily gain illfounded
credibility that allows it to spread like wildfire.
Human beings due to our gregarious nature, always seek
to belong. It is a primitive biological principle which
consolidates with the first tribal groupings. Belonging to a
group gives us an extremely rewarding sense of security.
This in turn leads us to accept what the group accepts, even
if it is wrong, since we subconsciously want to continue to
be accepted. We see this situation seriously aggravated by the
fact that people have been distancing themselves from each
other, particularly regarding live contact. This is something
that goes against our primordial human fiber and that has
generated a damaging emotional vacuum in a great many
individuals and peoples around the globe. Our interactions
have been shifted to social media and a cyberspace
consistently and increasingly more alarming. That is why we
now feel more helpless and distant from each other, despite
being “more connected" than ever in history.
The emotional fragility that results from this, puts us in
an alarming situation of emotional vulnerability and
distress.
The present global health crisis has had repercussions
that go far beyond the disease state itself, and even the
number of fatalities that Covid-19 can cause. It has in
fact already had important repercussions in other areas,
on the global, community and family economy. Nor is it
difficult to understand that we have not bottomed out on
these issues, which will lead to more uncertainty and
fear.
But there is one area that has been greatly neglected,
which will bring important repercussions to the state of
health of people all over the world, not only physical but
mental health as well.
If we could call ANXIETY and DEPRESSION
pandemics by the number of cases in a community and
the sudden global presentation and prevalence, related
just to the Covid-19 crisis; we would already be entering
a MENTAL DISEASE PANDEMIC as well.
The situation we are currently experiencing as a result of
this pandemic by Covid-19, is causing significant
repercussions on the mental health status of individuals,
without excluding anyone by age, gender, ethnicity or
social position. These are related to panic that spreads,
often unintentionally, through various channels
including social media; or from what I call the MOE or
Media Over Exposure phenomenon. It is fast becoming
a clinical mental health problem that combines several
points. First, it keeps you in an exalted state of alertness,
which is far from normal. In this artificially created
imbalance and chronic Fight, Flight or Hide response,
there is a cascade of neurotransmitters raised due to the
media generated stress; some of these are cortisol,
causing harmful effects on our physiology. In addition,
we are generating a pathological need to remain
connected to these sources, for fear of not knowing, of
being left out of the loop and perhaps no longer
belonging to whatever we perceive as necessary, or
vitally important; which is very often unfounded. This in
turn degenerates into two highly toxic phenomena
affecting our well-being and health. First a chronic state
of panic and there is also the development of obsessive
behaviors, accompanied by compulsions which do not
let us rest nor disconnect our minds so that it repairs and
replenishes.
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RDM WEEKEND NEWS
During this crisis, interpersonal problems are also
escalating, with even some emerging, where there
were previously none.
The economic impact that will most likely hit a good
percentage of the world's population and affect
everyone in some way, will cause all this problem to
be significantly aggravated.
This whole picture will likely lead to an increase in the
number of suicides, in further deterioration of those
already suffering from mental illness and in the
emergence of new cases. Evidence suggests we will
see an increase in crime, aggression and physical and
verbal violence, including spousal and child abuse.
Significant changes in established paradigms are
highly likely to follow, which will in the long run will
likely prove to be a positive thing; but, at first they will
create circumstances that will significantly aggravate
the incidence and prevalence of mental illness and the
sufferings it causes. As a result of these conditions,
there can also be an expected further increase in the
unemployment rate leading to greater family and social
deterioration.
Usually for beginners it is good enough to practice this
for 5 to 10 minutes twice a day, morning and night, it
will yield great benefits. If you cannot hold the practice
at first for more than two or three minutes at a time, it
does not matter, don't stop. With a consistent practice,
very soon you will be doing up to 20 or 30 minutes and
you will perceive and appreciate the positive physical
and mental changes giving way to a better, more
peaceful and fulfilling life.
You can also practice meditation when walking,
focus on your breathing while feeling each foot
when touching and stepping off the ground.
We will certainly get through this crisis, as
humanity has done in so many others it has faced.
It is up to us to avoid at a maximum the havoc that
it potentially causes, both in the short and long
term. This in turn will put us in an advantageous
position to adapt with resilience to the new
paradigms we will face and in doing so, identify the
new opportunities that will undoubtedly arise in all
areas of life.
Protocols will certainly have to be established to
address these problems. But we must act proactively,
to reduce its negative impact as soon as possible and to
minimize the long-term effects.
Some points to consider in the pursuit of these goals to
preserve physical and mental health include:
Eating healthy and in moderation, avoiding excess
alcohol, avoiding excess carbohydrates, eating
abundant fruits and vegetables and taking abundant
liquids. Hot liquids appear to be beneficial in
preventing Covid-19 infections after exposure. It is
important have a good night’s sleep of at least eight
hours a day, but not less than seven hours.
Avoid excess television time, radio or internet,
especially newscasts. Choose reliable and serious
sources and receive your daily information once or
twice a day at most from these sources. Be cautious to
not put in more than thirty minutes per session.
Consider exercising lightly daily. It can be, brisk walks
of around 15-20 minutes, practice yoga, swim if not in
public spaces.
Meditation is of great help. If you practice it, do not
stop now. If you have not done it before, this is a good
time to start with light exercises, such as being in a
quiet space breathing slowly and rhythmically, while
turning your attention to your breath always. If other
ideas or thoughts distract you, do not try to block them
or get rid of it, just redirect your attention to breathing;
with this the intrusive ideas will soon start becoming
less intense and frequent.
Let us not hold on to the past and what we are
familiar with; we should be open to new options,
ideas and opportunities. Let us try to be healthy in
body and mind, with well-being and equanimity.
Ready to act in our lives, consolidate our success
and live fully, healthy and in total prosperity.
Be in Wellness!
DR. WALDO CASTRO, MD, AyurD, Ayur.
LC, RM, FAAIM, NAMA PROFESSIONAL
Member Dr. Waldo the voice of The Prosperity
Revolution, director and co-founder of Bliss and Light
Ayurveda
Wellness Center in Mexico is a Physician, Ayurvedic Doctor,
Ayurvedic Life Coach and Integrative Wellness Advocate.
He has helped others take charge of their life and attain
balance and self-realization through the empowerment
derived from conscious intelligence, mindfulness and
meditation through Ayurveda and Ayurvedic Psychology. He
is an author, international speaker, professor in Clinical
Medicine and Ayurveda; a member of The National
Ayurvedic Medical Association and a Fellow of the American
Association of Integrative Medicine, he sits on the board for
the Program in the Study of Spirituality at Florida
International University- FIU, Green School of International
and Public Affairs.
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NEWS SPECIAL COLLABORATION RDM
CIVILITY AND CULTURE OF LEGALITY.
By: Mtro. César A. Castro
When we want to talk about the urgency of forming
and reinforcing a culture of civility and legality
among the population, we cannot omit to refer to the
main problems that currently affect Mexican society,
from the increase in violence to attacks on personnel
from Health, all this in the midst of an unprecedented
situation in which we are all immersed; Likewise, we
must not forget that last month large mobilizations
were carried out, both in our country and in many
others, to protest against violence against women, a
situation that, unfortunately, at this time continue to
suffer many families within from their homes (the
monster at home), as a consequence of the
confinement derived from the pandemic that we are
going through.
And why we can not stop thinking about these events,
because due to these and other events, there is an
absolute disdain for any established legal order, as
well as the absence of a minimum of urbanity in our
relationships, so we must start to urgently spread
among more and more people a civic education that
not only consists in the hollow veneration of national
symbols, but has the mission of preventing acts like
these by raising awareness among the population
about the enormous benefits of complying with the
rules, the laws, being attentive and considerate of
each other, which is a basic condition of
understanding and respect among all.
Barbaric acts such as those mentioned above, because
they cannot be described in any other way, and like
many more that unfortunately are constantly repeated
around the world, are the result of the absence of civic
values such as honesty, respect and solidarity.
But not only tragedies that have stained our history
with blood are examples of illegality, so are the
thousands of daily events that are committed
consciously every day, violating the rules that we
have given ourselves for our healthy social
coexistence, and that at the end of the day if we added
all these "little" behaviors, the result would be the
same, an antisocial tragedy that equally shamefully
stains our civilization.
If we really want to take root in the sense of citizen
responsibility to observe the laws, which implies
fulfilling our obligations and respecting the rights of
others, we must start at home with the little ones by
teaching them, with our example, that the rules of Home
are to be complied with, not to be negotiated or breached
depending on the circumstances and our convenience,
that agreements between people are also rules that must
be respected and that their compliance is not subject to
the will of only one of the parties.
That is why just as we must be firm in reprimanding our
children for disobeying an order or not complying with a
rule at home, in the same way we must show firmness
when fulfilling a promise made to them or rewarding
them for their good behavior, in this way the little ones
will understand the value of respect for agreements.
The Law, with a capital letter, is the best instrument
created by man to prevent and avoid his self-destruction,
to counteract his natural selfishness that leads him to
trample on the dignity and rights of others if it is to
achieve any benefit, it is the powerful shield of reason
and arguments against the brutality that destroys the lives
of innocent human beings, against the cynical corruption
that stops the progress of societies. Violence is the
opposite of civility and legality; it is the rule of law of the
strongest above justice and reason.
A society that respects the dignity of all its members as
well as its legal order is one that highly values values
such as freedom, equality, justice, democracy, tolerance,
solidarity, is an educated society and concerned with
preserving their way of life and for building day by day a
peaceful and harmonious social coexistence.
A society aware of the value of norms is one that
understands that civic education cannot consist solely of
paying public tributes each week in schools to the
national heroes, it is one in which its citizens know very
well what respect for women, minorities and the weakest,
in which they give way to each other, in which they do
not throw garbage or chewing gums on the streets, they
do not paint on the fences, they do not spit on public
roads, they obey the traffic signs, do not attack with
mischief believing that they are smarter than the one in
front, their corporations do not seek profit at any price
even at the cost of breaking the laws and mistreating their
collaborators, in short, it is a society in the one that its
authorities are the first to set the example of what
urbanity should be, acting with adherence to legality.
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Black and shameful episodes such as those referred to at
the beginning of this article, as well as the self-confidence
with which thousands or perhaps millions of citizens
around the world mock and take pride in it, show us that
as societies we have too much work to do. so that the
civilization process reaches the majority, a permanent task
in which the family and the school play a fundamental
role, since both institutions complement each other by
infusing the social and common values that should govern
us, and must support and in his case, until the flaws that
some of them present in the task of building citizenship are
corrected.
That is why civic education in today's world must have the
same rank and importance in schools as mathematics or
science, it is nothing more and nothing less than the
training of human beings who not only know how to solve
technical problems or that they are creators of art, but of
individuals who act ethically when applying the
knowledge acquired in the classroom. ¿What is the use of
having the best chemists if they are going to make
weapons of mass destruction or produce laboratory drugs?
Just as it is important that each and every citizen is fully
aware that there can be no progress without respect for the
laws, it is just as important, or even more, than the
government itself, represented by the 3 powers and in all
its instances, be effective in the enforcement and
application of the law, that is, the authority must begin by
respecting itself in order to be able to demand it from
society.
Corruption suffered by practically all governments in the
world is a systemic problem that we must combat and
reduce since it costs us billions of dollars each year, and
all due to the absence of ethical principles that govern the
actions of public servants, that given the possibility of
doing juicy business under their post and charged to the
treasury, they do not think twice when they consider that
they are ensuring a comfortable and comfortable life for
the future.
Public servants have an obligation to set the example of
virtuous citizen behavior, by having under their
responsibility the administration of resources that do not
belong to them and that we all contribute to the
functioning of our society.
Collusion between public servants or between these and
individuals to obtain illicit profits is a clear example of the
absolute disregard for the law and, consequently, of the
low value that society represents to them, which,
ultimately, places them in the same level that those who
violently and unscrupulously violate our integrity.
Corruption is a cancer that costs us a lot of money, it is one
more tax that shamelessly benefits a few, depriving us of
enormous resources that would largely solve, such as in
this health crisis that we are suffering, many pressing
needs that we have and that we prevent access to
development.
Civility and the culture of legality is a way of life, just
as we strive to carry out our work professionally, the
same must happen when interacting with society,
striving every day since we leave home early until we
arrive in the night in being professional citizens
careful to respect the rights of others, not to cheat, to
keep our word.
Illegality begins its twisted path at home since we
taught children to lie by our example, continuing in
school when those children cheat on an exam, and on
the street when they have become men and they
vulgarly bribe the police, commit fraud against the
company where they work, or become managers of
that company, defraud its employees, shareholders
and the treasury, turned into public servants divert
public resources to private bank accounts or electoral
campaigns, granting juicy contracts to family
members , partners and friends, or end up earning
cartloads of money for their criminal activities, and
all this began with the example that we give from
home to the little ones.
Civility and the culture of legality is a matter of
general interest that we cannot ignore, we are all
responsible for preserving and strengthening urbanity
and the rule of law, it is a matter of principle, of social
integrity, of national security and , ultimately,
survival.
For all of the above, we affirm categorically that the
degree of civilization of a society is measured by its
level of respect and compliance with the most
vulnerable and its own laws.
.
Mtro. César Augusto Castro Pérez.
Director General.
CB SERVICIOS EN DESARROLLO
HUMANO, S.A. DE C.V.
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