World Economic Forum's Covid-19 platform gets support from 726 private sector members


Kelsey Warner
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Since the World Economic Forum rolled out a digital platform for the global business community to help address the deadly coronavirus pandemic two weeks ago, the number of private sector partners joining weekly calls, leading a project or lending a helping hand, has soared to 726.

The WEF Covid Action Platform has so far coordinated at least two large-scale donation efforts so far, according to the Swiss-based organisation

UK pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca will donate 9 million face masks to healthcare workers worldwide, with the first shipment going to hard-hit Italy. The company is also accelerating the development of its diagnostic testing to scale-up screening and supplement testing where needed. And the world’s biggest soap company, the UK’s Unilever, is coordinating the donation of sanitiser, soap, bleach and food worth €50 million (Dh201.3m) through the WEF platform.

"When everyone wants to help, how do you coordinate all that? There is a need for global collaboration because no one can do it alone, whether it's supply chains, creating a cure or sharing information," Murat Sonmez, a managing director at the WEF, told The National said. "There was a need for an international, informal and impact-oriented platform."

The global death toll from the novel coronavirus is nearing 28,000, with more than 600,000 confirmed cases, with about 132,000 recoveries, according to Johns Hopkins University which is tracking global data. Billions of people have been ordered or urged to stay in their homes, with India joining European states including Britain, France and Italy in imposing strict lockdowns.

“If you look at the geopolitical situation, between China, the US and the EU, the WEF is one of the few to have the trust of all of the governments and also has the global business community engaged,” Mr Sonmez said.

The platform, launched in partnership with the World Health Organisation, is conducting weekly calls with senior executives around the world and across sectors on what is needed to address the pandemic. On the agenda are business donations to the public health response and the status of development of vaccines, diagnostics and protective equipment, as well as tracking the economic impact of the virus and pursuing collaboration to address disruptions.

“It’s going to take action from everyone in society to overcome this challenge,” Alan Jope, the chief executive of Unilever, said.

Another area where the WEF aims to be helpful is in developing regulation to expedite the response to Covid-19, Mr Sonmez noted.

Getting governments, the private sector and NGOs at the same table to respond to the Ebola crisis of 2014, among other public health challenges, provide a blueprint.

One example is the adoption of drones for public health management in Rwanda. As social distancing has proved to be the single best option to contain Covid-19 before a vaccine becomes widely available. Drones have already been deployed by countries including China, the US to the UAE to tackle to situation.

“In the absence of physical contact, how do you coordinate delivery of medical supplies on demand?” Mr Sonmez said, adding the answer is already out there.

The WEF, two years ago, worked with the Rwanda government to regulate drones as a way of addressing high mortality rates in childbirth.

DJI, one of China’s largest drone manufacturers, is a WEF partner and has helped in informing regulators about the capabilities drones actually have and what they can be used for.

“The engagement of the business community is essential because they are providing the technology,” Mr Sonmez said.

San Francisco drone start-up Zipline brought its technology and hardware to Rwanda. Blood stored in a central location was delivered to the patients in need by zipline drones. The programme achieved a zero loss rate in blood distribution, access to blood quadrupled in the targetted communities and the response time was reduced from 4 hours to 28 minutes. Today, Rwanda has the largest delivery drone network in the world and some of the most rigorous laws to oversee their operations.

Twelve African countries and India are considering adopting Rwanda’s regulatory framework, but more may come onboard as the public health response to Covid-19 evolves.

According to Mr Sonmez, these kinds of collaborations are a reason to take heart. “Humanity will survive and we will learn from this.”

THE BIO

Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist

Age: 78

Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”

Hobbies: his work  - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”

Other hobbies: football

Favorite football club: Al Ain Sports Club

 

The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S

Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900

Engine: 937cc

Transmission: Six-speed gearbox

Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm

Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Know your Camel lingo

The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home

Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless

Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers

Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s

Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to volunteer

The UAE volunteers campaign can be reached at www.volunteers.ae , or by calling 800-VOLAE (80086523), or emailing info@volunteers.ae.

England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29

The specs: 2019 Audi A8

Price From Dh390,000

Engine 3.0L V6 turbo

Gearbox Eight-speed automatic

Power 345hp @ 5,000rpm

Torque 500Nm @ 1,370rpm

Fuel economy, combined 7.5L / 100km

2021 World Triathlon Championship Series

May 15: Yokohama, Japan
June 5: Leeds, UK
June 24: Montreal, Canada
July 10: Hamburg, Germany
Aug 17-22: Edmonton, Canada (World Triathlon Championship Final)
Nov 5-6 : Abu Dhabi, UAE
Date TBC: Chengdu, China

While you're here

Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 402bhp

Torque: 760Nm

Price: From Dh280,000

WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

City's slump

L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1

The specs

Price, base / as tested Dh12 million

Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16

Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto

Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm

Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds

Top speed 420 kph (governed)

Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)

The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Power: 190bhp

Torque: 300Nm

Price: Dh169,900

On sale: now 

Company%20profile
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Tell-tale signs of burnout

- loss of confidence and appetite

- irritability and emotional outbursts

- sadness

- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue

- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more

- impaired judgement

- excessive and continuous worrying

- irregular sleep patterns

 

Tips to help overcome burnout

Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’

Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do

Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones

Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation

Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Grubtech

Founders: Mohamed Al Fayed and Mohammed Hammedi

Launched: October 2019

Employees: 50

Financing stage: Seed round (raised $2 million)

 

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

Origin
Dan Brown
Doubleday

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THE%20SPECS
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The%20specs
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BIOSAFETY LABS SECURITY LEVELS

Biosafety Level 1

The lowest safety level. These labs work with viruses that are minimal risk to humans.

Hand washing is required on entry and exit and potentially infectious material decontaminated with bleach before thrown away.

Must have a lock. Access limited. Lab does not need to be isolated from other buildings.

Used as teaching spaces.

Study microorganisms such as Staphylococcus which causes food poisoning.

Biosafety Level 2

These labs deal with pathogens that can be harmful to people and the environment such as Hepatitis, HIV and salmonella.

Working in Level 2 requires special training in handling pathogenic agents.

Extra safety and security precautions are taken in addition to those at Level 1

Biosafety Level 3

These labs contain material that can be lethal if inhaled. This includes SARS coronavirus, MERS, and yellow fever.

Significant extra precautions are taken with staff given specific immunisations when dealing with certain diseases.

Infectious material is examined in a biological safety cabinet.

Personnel must wear protective gowns that must be discarded or decontaminated after use.

Strict safety and handling procedures are in place. There must be double entrances to the building and they must contain self-closing doors to reduce risk of pathogen aerosols escaping.

Windows must be sealed. Air from must be filtered before it can be recirculated.

Biosafety Level 4

The highest level for biosafety precautions. Scientist work with highly dangerous diseases that have no vaccine or cure.

All material must be decontaminated.

Personnel must wear a positive pressure suit for protection. On leaving the lab this must pass through decontamination shower before they have a personal shower.

Entry is severely restricted to trained and authorised personnel. All entries are recorded.

Entrance must be via airlocks.