News roundup for Fri, Jan 28, 2022

The U.S. Commerce Department has warned of an acute shortage of semiconductors, which could lead to production halts across various industries. The automotive and medical device sectors are expected to be hit hardest by this shortage.

Unusual snowfall has blanketed Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and even Jerusalem. Residents in parts of Egypt are particularly worried, as many buildings lack proper insulation designed to withstand extremely cold temperatures.

In Burkina Faso, a coup has unfolded as the military seized control, ousting President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré. This development has sparked instability in neighboring Mali as well. Countries in West Africa are on high alert, fearing the spread of unrest. Both Mali and Burkina Faso have appealed for assistance from France and Russia amid the growing power vacuum.

Meanwhile, there’s been a concerning dip in breast milk donations during the pandemic. While interest in donor milk continues to grow, the supply has dropped by more than 20% over the last two years. Hospitals often rely on donor milk for premature infants or those whose mothers cannot produce enough milk themselves, especially for conditions like necrotizing enterocolitis.

On a positive note, President Biden has expressed support for the Right to Repair movement, publicly criticizing anti-competitive practices. His administration has tasked the Federal Trade Commission with drafting new regulations to promote repair rights.

Globally, there are now over 366.4 million confirmed COVID cases, with 23.8 million new infections recorded in the past week. Total deaths have surpassed 5.65 million. In the United States, the cumulative number of cases has reached 74.6 million, with nearly 4.3 million new cases added in the last week. Over 901,000 Americans have died, including around 18,000 in the past week. The U.S. remains the global leader in daily case increases, followed by India, Brazil, France, and the UK. On Wednesday alone, over 555,000 new cases were reported, and by Thursday afternoon, over 390,000 more were added. Although daily cases are declining, deaths continue to rise sharply:

Recent developments in Omicron-specific vaccines are promising. Pfizer and BioNTech have initiated trials comparing their Omicron-targeted vaccine to the original formulation. While I'd prefer a bivalent vaccine targeting multiple variants, any progress toward adapting to emerging strains is encouraging.

Access to certain COVID treatments has become so limited that they're being distributed via lotteries. A lab mishap in Taiwan involving the Delta variant exposed over 100 staff members last November. It’s commendable how transparently the incident was handled, dispelling myths about lab accidents being infrequent.

Vaccinations remain a lifeline:

Getting vaccinated and receiving a booster shot can reduce the risk of dying from COVID by up to 99%. This stark statistic underscores the critical role of immunizations in saving lives.

Omicron shows no preference for prior infections, with up to two-thirds of recent cases reporting previous exposure to different variants. Another concerning development is the emergence of the BA.2 subvariant, which appears to be spreading rapidly. Its characteristics are still under investigation.

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