Dr Maria Van Kerkhove warned it could be difficult to get people engaged in dealing with Covid-19, nearly three years on from when the pandemic was declared. Reuters
Dr Maria Van Kerkhove warned it could be difficult to get people engaged in dealing with Covid-19, nearly three years on from when the pandemic was declared. Reuters
Dr Maria Van Kerkhove warned it could be difficult to get people engaged in dealing with Covid-19, nearly three years on from when the pandemic was declared. Reuters
Dr Maria Van Kerkhove warned it could be difficult to get people engaged in dealing with Covid-19, nearly three years on from when the pandemic was declared. Reuters

Disinformation still hampering fight against Covid-19, WHO warns


Daniel Bardsley
  • English
  • Arabic

Disinformation is continuing to hamper the fight against Covid-19, a World Health Organisation expert has warned, as the planet approaches the third anniversary of a pandemic being declared.

Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead for the Covid-19 response in the WHO Health Emergencies programme, also said the real death toll from the coronavirus was likely to be three times the official figure.

Online “anti-vax” comments and conspiracy theories are still prevalent in many countries and have sometimes resulted in vaccine hesitancy, which remains a problem even though Covid-19 jabs are credited with saving large numbers of lives.

“Disinformation is rampant these days and it’s undermining the safe and effective tools that can reduce the impact of Covid-19,” Dr Van Kerkhove said during a WHO online briefing session.

We’re in a challenging phase. No one wants to talk about Covid any more. We all want it to be over
Dr Maria Van Kerkhove,
WHO

The WHO emphasised the continuing importance of vaccination. Individuals in high-risk groups are advised to ensure they have a recent booster, ideally between four and six months after their last.

Dr Van Kerkhove warned that it could sometimes be difficult to get people engaged in dealing with Covid-19, nearly three years on from when the pandemic was declared.

“We’re in a challenging phase. No one wants to talk about Covid any more. We all want it to be over,” she said.

“We must remain vigilant. We cannot become complacent … We need governments to be focused on this.”

The hope is that the “emergency” of Covid-19 will end this year, she said, and the world will have reached a more stable way of dealing with the virus.

Vaccines with more protection

It was in December 2019 that the authorities in Wuhan, China reported a cluster of cases of pneumonia in people who had the disease later named as Covid-19.

The genetic sequence of the coronavirus that causes the disease was publicly shared on January 12, 2020, leading to a race by scientists across the globe to develop vaccines.

A notable aspect of the pandemic has been the success of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, a type of technology that had not previously been deployed on a large scale to protect people from disease.

Maria van Kerkhove speaks during a news conference on coronavirus at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. AP
Maria van Kerkhove speaks during a news conference on coronavirus at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. AP

Dr Van Kerkhove emphasised that even people who had been infected with Covid-19, and so would be expected to have some natural immunity, should be vaccinated.

“We’re seeing a really robust immune response [to vaccination] and a hybrid immune response for people who have been infected and vaccinated,” she said.

Another WHO expert, Dr Sylvie Briand, the organisation’s director for epidemic and pandemic prevention and preparedness, said that vaccines stimulating broader immune protection were on the horizon.

In addition to bivalent vaccines, which typically are formulated to be effective against the original form of the coronavirus and a later variant, there would be multivalent vaccines protective against larger numbers of variants.

“The acute phase of the pandemic is ending, but this phase of transition is very complex,” she said. “Now, three years later, most of the population on the planet has immunity, either through vaccination or acquired through infection.

“Since Omicron, the trend we’ve observed is that the virus becomes more transmissible but less virulent. We hope this trend continues.”

Three times higher

Between 10,000 and 40,000 deaths each week from Covid-19 are being reported to WHO, Dr Van Kerkhove said, with more than 200,000 deaths since the beginning of December.

“At present, cumulatively, we’ve had more than 6.8 million deaths, but we know that the [actual] number is more than three times higher,” she said.

The number of deaths underestimates the pandemic’s true impact, she said, because it excluded an increase in the numbers who have died or who will die, for example, because cancer has gone undiagnosed as a result of disruption to health services.

There is some evidence from temperate countries that transmission of the virus increases during winter, as people spend more time indoors, the webinar heard.

Scientists are still monitoring the types of coronavirus that are circulating and more than 600 sub-lineages of the highly transmissible Omicron variant have been identified.

All have to be analysed, with particular attention paid to those that appear to have a growth advantage and so are likely to spread most widely.

Dr Lorenzo Subissi, technical officer for emerging zoonotic diseases at the WHO Health Emergencies programme, said that there was “huge heterogeneity” in which sub-variant was dominant from one location to the next.

While there is no current evidence that the virus is becoming more virulent, with the various Omicron sub-lineages that are dominant tending to be less dangerous than earlier forms, there is no guarantee this would not happen.

“The virus has not stabilised to a predictable pattern of evolution,” Dr Subissi said. “There’s no real certainty on the change of severity. It could become less severe, we hope so, but we could have a more severe variant.”

Beyond the Headlines: Are we prepared for another pandemic?

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

What it means to be a conservationist

Who is Enric Sala?

Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.

What is biodiversity?

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.

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Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

Tips to avoid getting scammed

1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday

2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment

3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone

4) Try not to close the sale at night

5) Don't be rushed into a sale 

6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour

The specs: Macan Turbo

Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October

Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Adele%20Lim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAshley%20Park%2C%20Sherry%20Cola%2C%20Stephanie%20Hsu%2C%20Sabrina%20Wu%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHayvn%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristopher%20Flinos%2C%20Ahmed%20Ismail%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efinancial%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eundisclosed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESize%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2044%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eseries%20B%20in%20the%20second%20half%20of%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHilbert%20Capital%2C%20Red%20Acre%20Ventures%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
West Asia Premiership

Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles

Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain

Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins

MATCH INFO

Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')

Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')

Brief scores

Barcelona 2

Pique 36', Alena 87'

Villarreal 0

If you go

The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.

The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFirst%20match%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2020%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinal%2016%20round%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%203%20to%206%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EQuarter-finals%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%209%20and%2010%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESemi-finals%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%2013%20and%2014%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinal%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%2018%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Forced%20Deportations
%3Cp%3EWhile%20the%20Lebanese%20government%20has%20deported%20a%20number%20of%20refugees%20back%20to%20Syria%20since%202011%2C%20the%20latest%20round%20is%20the%20first%20en-mass%20campaign%20of%20its%20kind%2C%20say%20the%20Access%20Center%20for%20Human%20Rights%2C%20a%20non-governmental%20organization%20which%20monitors%20the%20conditions%20of%20Syrian%20refugees%20in%20Lebanon.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%9CIn%20the%20past%2C%20the%20Lebanese%20General%20Security%20was%20responsible%20for%20the%20forced%20deportation%20operations%20of%20refugees%2C%20after%20forcing%20them%20to%20sign%20papers%20stating%20that%20they%20wished%20to%20return%20to%20Syria%20of%20their%20own%20free%20will.%20Now%2C%20the%20Lebanese%20army%2C%20specifically%20military%20intelligence%2C%20is%20responsible%20for%20the%20security%20operation%2C%E2%80%9D%20said%20Mohammad%20Hasan%2C%20head%20of%20ACHR.%3Cbr%3EIn%20just%20the%20first%20four%20months%20of%202023%20the%20number%20of%20forced%20deportations%20is%20nearly%20double%20that%20of%20the%20entirety%20of%202022.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ESince%20the%20beginning%20of%202023%2C%20ACHR%20has%20reported%20407%20forced%20deportations%20%E2%80%93%20200%20of%20which%20occurred%20in%20April%20alone.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%20comparison%2C%20just%20154%20people%20were%20forcfully%20deported%20in%202022.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Key changes

Commission caps

For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:

• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term). 

• On the protection component, there is a cap  of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).

• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated. 

• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.

• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.

Disclosure

Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.

“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”

Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.

Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.

“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.

Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

While you're here
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EXPATS
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Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

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What are NFTs?

Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.

You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”

However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.

This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”

This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.

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WE%20NO%20LONGER%20PREFER%20MOUNTAINS
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

Updated: February 09, 2023, 4:03 AM`