Reason for COVID-19 cases downturn in India is unclear, says GlobalData
India has reported a gradual decline of the COVID-19 infections after reporting a high number of daily new cases in September and October 2020. The seasonal effect of the colder weather combined with the lifting of lockdown measures was supposed to trigger a surge in the cases, but they have gradually declined. Hence, the reason for this unexpected down surge has confounded the experts, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
In India, the current rate of new cases is 10 per one million population, in marked contrast to the US, where the rate is 370 new cases per one million population.
Bishal Bhandari, PhD, Senior Epidemiologist at GlobalData, comments: “This is astounding as until recently, experts were predicting that India would overtake the US as the most heavily affected country in the world. This decline seems to be real as the testing positivity rate has also declined to around 2%, and hospitalizations and mortality are also lower than in the first wave. This lends support to the argument that cases are indeed declining in India.”
Non-pharmacological intervention (NPI) could provide some of the explanation for the decline of the cases. Mask mandates and social distancing could have a positive effect on reduction of the number of daily cases. However, India is a densely populated country, making social distancing extremely difficult to follow.
Bhandari continues: “Importantly, India has a relatively younger population compared to European countries, which suggests that the outcome will be more favorable for positive cases in Indians. Indians may also have innate immunity from previous exposure to related infections in their lives that could boost their immune response to the novel coronavirus.”
There is also speculation that the hot and humid climate of India could be controlling the spread of the virus, though other countries with similar environmental factors such as Brazil and Mexico did not seem to benefit from the weather.
Bhandari concludes: “India should not be complacent as new viral mutations in South Africa, Brazil and the UK are causing an alarm around the world. These mutations allow the virus to be more contagious and may cause vaccines to be less effective. India should remain vigilant and continue to implement proactive public health measures to prevent the spread of these new variants.”
New Year, New Outlook: Life Coach Shares Powerful Messages of Unity and Positivity
Stafford, TX, February 10, 2021 – Without question, 2020 was a difficult year on many levels. Life Coach Michael Taylor has a powerful call to action, intended to help readers focus on the factors that unite us as humans and view 2021 through a perspective of positivity.
“It is my belief that there has never been a better time to be alive on the planet than right now,” he says. “Obviously, I recognize all the challenges, but at the same time, I honestly believe that every human being has the capacity to be, to do and to have anything that they set their minds to.”
In his latest book, The Good News Is, The Future Is Brighter Than You Think!,the self-described “irrepressible optimist” uses science, spirituality and psychology to inform his insights into a range of topics, including:
•Being Human: Understanding what it means to be human, the role of trauma in our lives, how to move on from past trauma and taking 100 percent responsibility for our lives; •Divine Intelligence and Evolution: The Divine Intelligence as the creator of the universe, the driving force behind human evolution and how to use its power; •Spirituality: Recognition and acknowledgment of a connection to a power higher than oneself, the spiritual connection to the Divine Intelligence as a result of evolution; •Race: Realization that there is only one race and that is the human race — only through evolution will we heal our race relations and accept that we’re all the same; •Love: Accepting love as the highest power that can heal this universe and how to create meaningful connections and develop healthy intimate relationships; •Plus health, wealth, education, technology and everything in between!
“If you’ve been looking for a resource that inspires you and motivates you and lights you up, this is the book for you!” Taylor adds.
Author Michael Taylor is uniquely positioned to spread hope and optimism. A high school dropout, he overcamea divorce, bankruptcy, foreclosure, depression and being homeless for two years on his way to becoming a successful entrepreneur, motivational speaker, radio and TV host, and author of nine best-selling books. He has dedicated his life to empowering men and women to reach their full potential by transforming their lives from the inside out.
Taylor is President and CEO of Creation Publishing Group, a company that specializes in creating programs and products that empower men and women to live extraordinary lives,and Too Cool Club, a company that develops transformational education programs for youth. He has been featured in the Amazon.com bestselling book Motivational Speakers America and in USA Today magazine about the changing roles of manhood and masculinity in society. He has won numerous awards for his dynamic speaking style, and he is an Amazon.com bestselling author.
He is the host and producer of two TV Channels on the Roku Network, Joy Passion & Profit and Shatter The Stereotypes, and hosts two podcasts of the same names available on most podcast platforms like Spotify and iTunes.
Most importantly, he has been blissfully married for 18 years to the woman of his dreams and he is a proud father of three grown children.
So-Called Normal Shares Gripping True Story of Suicide Attempt Survival and Resilience
New York NY, February 10, 2021 — By age 15, depression and anxiety had taken their toll on Mark Henick. Clinging to an outside girder on an overpass, a deeply troubled Henick made the only decision he thought he could. And he let go.
Henick’s newly released book, So-Called Normal: A Memoir of Family, Depression and Resilience, aims to break the relentless stigma of mental illness through his candid, intensely personal account of his youth, the events that led to that fateful night on the bridge, and the experiences and transformation that followed. Henick takes readers inside the mind of a boy who had to deal with the breakdown of his parents’ marriage, an abusive stepfather, bullying and trauma — all while trying to navigate his progressively worsening mental health. In the backdrop is a community that didn’t talk about mental illness, one where silence and maintaining the comforts of “normal” was paramount.
So-Called Normal is a vital, triumphant story of perseverance and recovery that has already touched the hearts of many, including television personality Rosie O’Donnell.
“Mark Henick is a powerful storyteller. His vivid account of his early years as a depressed, suicidal teenager is a page-turner. So-Called Normal is beautifully written, heart-wrenching, and hopeful. Necessary reading for anyone who wants a peek inside the mind of someone who journeyed through mental illness and found hope on the other side,” O’Donnell said.
Author Mark Henick’s TEDx talk, Why We Choose Suicide, is one of the most watched in the world and has been viewed millions of times. His search for “the man in the brown jacket” whose bravery and strong arms kept him from falling to his death went viral around the world (and was successful!). Henick has been on television and radio and has written many articles on mental health. He has hosted more than 60 intimate conversations about mental health with notable public figures and celebrities on his podcast, So-Called Normal, and has executive produced and hosted the Living Well podcast for Morneau Shepell. Henick has served on the board of directors for the Mental Health Commission of Canada, and was the president of a provincial division of the Canadian Mental Health Association — the youngest person in either role. He has worked as a frontline clinician, a program manager and the national director of strategic initiatives for CMHA. Currently the CEO and principal strategist for Strategic Mental Health Consulting, Mark Henick is in high demand as an international keynote speaker on mental health recovery.
Hey Guys and Gals! I hope youre having a great week so far! Happy humpday! I wanted to come on and share with you guys a couple of Valentines Day gift ideas for your fitness Gal! They are in no particular order but I hope that they give you some great gift ideas!
Fit Bit Versa
Fitness trackers are a great gift - especially the versa. It is equivalent to the Apple Watch but at a much more affordable price.
Adjustable Bands
A set of adjustable resistance bands. These are great to be able to have during these uncertain times. You can adjust the residence, they're great for travel and are very affordable and effective.
Digital Fitness Scale
Because every fitness gal needs a digital scale to weigh and record their food. This one connects to your phone via blue tooth and can help with tracking.
Non Slip Booty Bands
No slip bands are an amazing addition to your gym back. These are non slip and are great for the booty workouts that every fitness gal loves.
Cami Tank Top/Bra
These are affordable camis/bras and they are light and padded. They are also great fitting, affordable and come in different colours.
Fitness Journal
I think that one of the greatest things in fitness is recording and tracking your progress. This journal is perfect for that. and specifically made for the fitness gal!
Perfect for Black History Month, New Kid’s Book Teaches Diversity, Equality and Blended Families
“Freeda the Frog and Her New Blue Family will help to foster a young child's understanding that blended families with mixed ethnicities, religions, and races are all a family just the same…” - Midwest Book Review
New York, NY, February 9, 2021 — In a culture that is divided, the subjects of diversity and inclusion have become vital to build a more unified tomorrow. Although discussing these topics with children may be difficult, books have always served as bridges of communication to help pave the way to acceptance. Gold Mom’s Choice Award-winner book and series author Nadine Harunispecializes in making awkward conversations, such as racial equality, fun and approachable. Nadine’s book, Freeda the Frog & Her New Blue Family (Mascot Books; ISBN: 978-1-68401-132-2; $14.95; Hardcover), teaches children and parents alike to welcome people of differing ethnic, religious and gender backgrounds. Being the proud mom of a blended family, Nadine has a personal perspective on the subject.
The book follows green tadpoles Frannie and Frank, who learn two blue frogs, Samson and his son Jack, will be joining the family. They wonder if they will all get along and if Samson will replace their green biological father. However, spending time with their new blue friends teaches the green tadpoles a valuable lesson: a frog is who they are on the inside and shouldn’t be judged by the color of their skin. Nadine is no stranger to subjects like this, or others addressed in previous books such as divorce and losing a loved one.
To that end, the Freeda the Frog series helps educators, school counselors and parents discuss difficult topics in a positive, non-threatening way with children. Each book reinforces Nadine Haruni’s mission of “helping families of all species, one tadpole at a time.” The entire series has even been leveled for schools to align with National Education standards, and all five books in the series have a Readers’ Favorite 5-star review and the Gold Mom’s Choice Award for excellence in the family-friendly picture book category.
Author Nadine Haruni has gone through a divorce herself and is now the mother of five kids in a blended family. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, an attorney and a certified yoga instructor. Haruni has also created a lesson plan inspired by her books for Garden State Equality in New Jersey, her home state. For more information, please visit www.freedathefrog.com.
TORONTO, Feb. 9, 2021 /CNW/ - Ontario's doctors question whether there is enough data and scientific evidence to support easing pandemic restrictions now, given the lack of vaccines and the presence of new variants of COVID-19.
Instead, doctors working on the front lines of the pandemic recommend maintaining existing public health restrictions and reopening schools for another few weeks while assessing:
How the reopening of schools affects transmission of the virus
How quickly the new virus variants are spreading in the community; in Britain, for example, the variant caused a Third Wave worse than the first two
How soon Ontario will get a steady supply of vaccines
"Too many people have died and suffered from this pandemic already," said Dr. Samantha Hill, president of the Ontario Medical Association. "We all want this to be over rapidly but there is no short cut. Everyone, including the government, needs to be making decisions based on science and proven health measures. Otherwise we risk going backward instead of forward."
The OMA will hold a media briefing at 11 a.m. Wednesday discussing the importance of using big data in health care to improve decision-making and accurately predict and improve patient outcomes. Journalists can register here.
The government has announced it will gradually lift the province-wide lockdown and return to the old colour-coded framework in which regions move up and down depending on local outbreaks.
The Ontario Medical Association reiterates its call for stricter enforcement of and adherence to existing public health measures as the most effective way of curbing the pandemic, including:
Steps to ensure people don't travel outside of hotspots to do shopping or personal errands in regions with fewer or no outbreaks
Hiring more contact tracers – the sooner people know they have COVID or may have been exposed to it, the sooner they can isolate and prevent further spread
Ensuring sufficient lab capacity to identify the variants
Expedited rollout of rapid testing and clear plans on how that will happen, in schools, for example
Ensuring plans are in place to administer vaccines as soon as they are available and that none are wasted
Provide paid sick days for all workers so they can stay home if they have COVID or have been exposed, rather than spreading the virus because they need to earn money to buy food
The OMA also urged the government to clarify conflicting advice in its new plan. The plan both strongly advises people to stay home and avoid social gatherings yet it allows non-essential retail outlets to reopen at reduced capacity.
"There are good reasons for optimism, including the anticipated delivery of significantly more vaccines in coming weeks," said OMA CEO Allan O'Dette. "But Ontario still has a very high infection rate and we are starting to see new COVID-19 variants in the community. We must continue to flatten the curve to save lives."
About the OMA
The Ontario Medical Association represents Ontario's 43,000-plus physicians, medical students and retired physicians, advocating for and supporting doctors while strengthening the leadership role of doctors in caring for patients. Our vision is to be the trusted voice in transforming Ontario's health-care system.
SOURCE Ontario Medical Association
Resolve to Protect Your Eye Health: Don’t Go Blind from Glaucoma
New York, NY, February 10, 2021 — It’s the new year and one of your resolutions should be to get your eyes checked, advises Dr. Daniel Laroche, Director of Glaucoma Services and President of Advanced Eyecare of New York. Despite the busyness of the new year, he says it’s still important to stay on top of regular doctor visits, including visits with your eye doctor.
What is Glaucoma? Glaucoma is a disease of the eye characterized by three components:
1. Damage and loss of the retinal ganglions cells and optic nerve described as cupping
2. Loss of visual field
3. Usually increased eye pressure (the mean normal eye pressure is 15mmHG)
People at risk for glaucoma include the elderly, Blacks, people with elevated eye pressure, primary relatives with glaucoma, persons with high myopia, high hyperopia, history of eye trauma and diabetes. Blindness from glaucoma is insidious. In most cases, there is no pain, and the loss of vision occurs slowly from peripheral to central. The central reading vision is not affected until the end, thus most people do not realize it until they have lost a substantial amount of their peripheral vision. In low or normal pressure glaucoma, the central vision may be affected first.
The elevated intraocular pressure damages the optic nerve both mechanically and creates decreased blood flow to the eye. The most identifiable cause of glaucoma is the enlarged lens or cataract in the eye. Early cataract surgery and trabecular bypass has become the best option to stop vision loss in patients with glaucoma. The current use of eyedrops and laser help to lower intraocular pressure but do not address the causative mechanism of the glaucoma being the enlarged lens. Incisional cataract surgery and glaucoma surgery is often needed to truly stabilize glaucoma.
All people should be screened regularly for glaucoma as part of a medical eye exam. Screening should consist of an eye examination consisting of gonioscopy (examination of the drainage angle), intraocular pressure measurement with Goldmann applanation tonometry and a dilated optic nerve examination. If there appears to be any damage to the optic nerve or abnormal pressure, then a visual field test should be performed, and optic nerve photos taken. Persons with thin corneas should be more aggressively monitored and treated for glaucoma as the disease tends to be worse in these patients.
If you have eye pressure or glaucoma and feel that you may be losing vision, Dr. Laroche recommends that you seek the care of a glaucoma specialist for a second opinion. DON’T GO BLIND FROM GLAUCOMA! People with conditions such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy that could lead to blindness if left unchecked need to stay particularly vigilant with their checkups. The pandemic shouldn’t keep you from visiting your doctor, but for patients over 60, Dr. Laroche advises it's better to stay home and do telehealth visits or video consultations until the pandemic flattens. He also encourages people to wear face masks on visits and maintain social distancing, even if they are in a health clinic, and if you’re high-risk, consider adding eye protection when in public spaces.
“Eyesight or human vision is one of the most important senses. As much as 80 percent of what we feel comes through our sense of sight. By protecting the eyes, people will reduce the chance of blindness and vision loss while also staying on top of any developing eye diseases, such as glaucoma and cataracts.
“A healthy brain function requires a healthy vision. The brain is our most essential organ, and it allows us to control other organs. Normal and healthy vision contributes to improved learning and comprehension for a better quality of life,” says Dr. Laroche.
About Dr. Daniel Laroche
Dr. Laroche is an exceptional glaucoma specialist in New York. He studied and received his bachelor's degree from New York University and a medical doctorate with honors in research from Weil Cornell University Medical College. He underwent a medical internship at Montefiore Hospital and finished his ophthalmology residency at Howard University Hospital in Washington D.C., where he was the chief resident in his third year. He later completed his glaucoma fellowship at New York Eye and Ear.
Feeling Forwards: Learn How to Harness the Infinite Energy of Your Emotions
"Feeling Forwards helps you find the power within to overcome unbelievable challenges and take a quantum leap forwards." — TONY ROBBINS
New York, NY, February 10, 2021 — Everything you need to transform your life is already within you, asserts bestselling author and personal reinvention coach Elizabeth Gould. Her empowering new book, Feeling Forwards: How to Become the Person Who Has the Life You Want, can help you say farewell to negative habits, release painful beliefs and tap into your full potential by harnessing the infinite energy generated by your emotions.
“Feeling Forwards is a thinking and feeling revolution. It’s not about writing to-do lists or visualizing every step toward a goal,” Elizabeth says. “Feeling Forwards is about living life as the complete person you’ve forgotten you already are and not as the person who’s just waiting to shine.”
The first half of Feeling Forwards is a fascinating deep-dive into the science proving the true power of our emotions, enabling them to travel forward and backward in time, influence pre-programmed computer outcomes, reverse aging, impact crime rates, fast-track personal reinvention and much more. After understanding the effects that our emotions can truly have on our lives, Elizabeth offers practical applications of the strategies in Feeling Forwardsusing real-life examples of those who’ve successfully integrated the principles into their lives.
Woven throughout are Elizabeth’s candid, personal stories of embracing these principles to thrive through several life-threatening events and dramatic personal upheavals.
The result is a refreshingly relatable, actionable guide to help you create the life you genuinely want to live. Feeling Forwards teaches you how to become the person who has the life you want … today. As Elizabeth reveals, “Today is the past of your future.”
About the Author
A bestselling author and founding member of Randi Zuckerberg’s global leadership school at the Zuckerberg Institute, Elizabeth Gould experiences the joy of working with people around the world to unlock their potential. She has spent decades interviewing thousands of successful professionals to understand how they behave to achieve what they want. Her work is endorsed by world-renowned life and business strategist, Tony Robbins. Feeling Forwards is her third book.
New drugs entering Canada at steady rate over past 5 years - Canada still among top 10 OECD countries in terms of access to new drugs
OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 10, 2021 /CNW/ - The latest edition of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) Meds Entry Watch reports that 40 new-to-Canada medicines were approved for market in 2018, of which 22 had reported sales by the end of 2019. This is in line with the annual rate of approximately nine new approvals per quarter since 2015, a trend that continued steadily into 2019.
Internationally, 51 new drugs were first approved in the US, Europe, and Canada in 2018, of which more than two thirds were high-cost and over 60% were treatments for rare diseases. Four of the five top-selling new medicines were approved in Canada in the same year, including the antiviral drug bictegravir (Biktarvy), which alone accounted for over half of total sales for the 51 new medicines by the end of 2019.
This report, produced through the National Prescription Drug Utilization Information System (NPDUIS) research initiative, is the fifth edition in the annual Meds Entry Watch series, which provides the latest information on new medicines entering Canadian and international markets.
Quick Facts
In 2018, Health Canada approved 40 new-to-Canada medicines, of which 22 had reported sales by Q4-2019, accounting for 1.6% of the total Canadian pharmaceutical market. On average, international prices for these medicines were 19% lower than the prices paid by Canadians.
51 new medicines were approved internationally in 2018, of which over 60% had an orphan designation from the FDA and/or the EMA while more than 30% were indicated for the treatment of cancer.
Health Canada had approved 20 of the 51 new medicines by the end of 2019, of which nine had recorded sales in Canada, placing Canada ninth in the OECD and in line with the PMPRB11 comparator countries, most of which have lower average patented medicine prices.
Over two thirds of the new medicines approved in 2018 were high-cost: 13 oncology medicines had costs exceeding $5,000 per 28-day cycle and 21 non-oncology medicines had annual costs exceeding $10,000.
Of the total new medicines approved internationally between 2015 and 2018, 38% had Canadian sales by the end of 2019. This group of medicines accounted for 87% of all new medicine sales in the OECD in Q4-2019, indicating that the higher-selling medicines continue to be among those approved and sold in Canada.
47 new medicines received market authorization in 2019, of which 16 were approved in Canada by Q3-2020. In total, 40% (19) of the 2019 new medicines were orphan-designated while just under a quarter were oncology treatments.
SOURCE Patented Medicine Prices Review Board; Government of Canada
Overpower Negativity, Push Through Adversity Using Tools Outlined in Optimists Always Win!
Philadelphia, PA, February 10, 2021 — Are you ready for a personal and professional reset? Make 2021 your best year yet by learning how to cultivate and nurture a positive mindset every day.
Optimists Always Win!: Moving from Defeat to Life's C-Suite, from award-winning global diversity and inclusion strategist, international inspirational speaker and unstoppable optimist Kimberly S. Reed, delivers the encouragement and the tools to launch the new beginning we all need.
“Difficulties and struggles are unavoidable in life, but a person has complete control over one’s personal response to the situation,” Reed says. “This book offers readers a plan for responding with optimism for both the challenges and blessings that come their way.”
Optimists Always Win! isn’t another collection of platitudes and motivational mumbo jumbo. Reed’s book digs deep into her most powerful principles and life knockouts (LKOs) and walks readers throughan actionable process for building resilience and choosing optimism over anger.
Reed uses her own experiences, including her heroic battle with her mother’s terminal illness and sudden loss as well as her own subsequent battle with cancer, to show readers that it’s possible to rise above pessimism and hopelessness when faced with hardship.
Relying heavily on her faith in God and the optimism that she learned to cultivate, Reed teaches readers 10 “discouragement eliminators,” which helped her succeed not just in her fight against cancer but as she lives each day as her best self.
Reed’s inspirational messages touch on every aspect of life, to help readers grow in their faith, remove self-placed stumbling blocks and adopt the optimistic attitude needed for reaching the C-suite of life.
All book royalties are being donated to the American Cancer Society AstraZeneca Hope Lodge in Philadelphia and to a premier Academic Research Institution for Integrated Breast Cancer Fund and Patient Care.
Author Kimberly S. Reed, MEd, CDP, is an award-winning diversity, equality and inclusion expert, international speaker and corporate trainer. As founder of the Reed Development Group, LLC, she has developed a distinguished reputation as having one of the most distinct and powerful voices on the lecture circuit, engaging audiences on topics ranging from diversity and inclusion and talent innovation, organizational leadership, intrapreneurship, entrepreneurial leadership, and personal and professional development. Reed earned a B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations and Public Administration from Westchester University; a certification in Global Organizational Leadership, Human Resource Management, from Fox School of Business; a Masters of Education, Adult Organizational Development and Public Policy; and certifications in Training and Development and Communication and Conflict from Temple University. She has also been a senior partner and advisor for one of the world’s leading CEO branding companies, The Ascendant Group.
Optimists Always Win!: Moving from Defeat to Life's C-Suite
