US Issues ‘Do Not Travel’ Warning for Japan Ahead of Tokyo Olympics 

#notokyololympics

By VOA News
May 25, 2021 

People wearing masks to help protect against the spread of the coronavirus walk in front of a screen showing the news on U.S. warning against visits to Japan, May 25, 2021, in Tokyo.

With less than two months remaining before the opening ceremony, the Tokyo Olympics received another jolt Monday when the U.S. government issued a warning for its citizens not to travel to Japan due to rising rates of new COVID-19 cases.

The State Department issued its highest travel advisory warning, Level 4, citing Japan’s slow vaccination rate and the country’s own restrictions on travelers from the United States.

A separate warning issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said “even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants and should avoid all travel to Japan.”

Security personnel stand guard near the Olympic rings monument during a rally by anti-Olympics protesters outside the Japanese Olympic Committee headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, May 18, 2021.

The Tokyo Olympics are scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 8 after a one-year postponement as the novel coronavirus pandemic began spreading across the globe. But the Japanese capital and other parts of Japan are under a state of emergency to quell a surge of new infections that has overwhelmed hospitals across the country, prompting growing public sentiment against staging the event.

The opposition was boosted by an open letter earlier this month from the Tokyo Medical Practitioners Association, which represents about 6,000 primary care doctors and hospitals, urging Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to convince the International Olympic Committee to cancel the games.

The current outbreak has already prompted Japanese authorities to ban foreign audiences from attending the Olympics. But Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told reporters Tuesday the warning does not prohibit essential travel to Japan, and that authorities there do not detect any change in Washington’s support for Japan to go through with staging the Olympics.

Japan has recorded just 722,668 total COVID-19 infections and 12,351 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, but has only inoculated just under five percent of its population.
 

FILE - People protest the Tokyo 2020 Olympics amid the coronavirus outbreak, around Olympic Stadium (National Stadium) as an Olympic test event for athletics is held inside the venue in Tokyo, Japan, May 9, 2021, in this photo taken by Kyodo.

Hong Kong warning

In Hong Kong, a high-ranking official is warning that the city may soon have to discard millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses because not enough people are getting inoculated before the doses expire.

Thomas Tsang, a former controller of Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection and a member of the government’s vaccine task force, told public broadcaster RTHK Tuesday there is only a “three-month window” to use the first batch of the two-dose Pfizer vaccine, a situation complicated by current plans to close the community vaccination centers after September.

Hong Kong bought rough doses of Pfizer and China’s Sinovac vaccine to cover its entire 7.5 million citizens, but only 2.1 million have taken the shots since the city’s vaccination program began in late February.

FILE - Members of the Hong Kong Fire Services Department receive a dose of the Sinovac Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine at a community vaccination center in Hong Kong, China, Feb. 23, 2021. (Paul Yeung/Pool via Reuters)

Tsang said it was "just not right" that Hong Kong was sitting on an unused pile of doses while the rest of the world "is scrambling for vaccines” and warned that the city would not be buying anymore doses.

Observers have blamed the situation on a number of factors, including vaccine hesitancy, online disinformation, a lack of urgency in a city that has largely avoided a major outbreak of the virus, and rising distrust of authorities in Hong Kong and China.

Major Japanese Newspaper Calls for Cancellation of Tokyo Olympics

#notokyololympics

By VOA News
May 26, 2021 

President of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Seiko Hashimoto delivers opening remarks during a Tokyo 2020 executive board meeting in Tokyo, May 26, 2021.

A major Japanese newspaper has called for the Tokyo Olympic Games to be cancelled due to the worsening COVID-19 crisis in the country.

An editorial printed in Wednesday’s edition of The Asahi Shimbun called on Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to calmly assess the current circumstances and cancel the Olympics.

The editorial criticized the leaders of the International Olympic Committee for being “self-righteous,” especially vice-president John Coates, who said last week the Tokyo Olympics would be held even if a state of emergency were in force. The newspaper said Coates’s comments were out of step with the Japanese public.

  

IOC and Tokyo 2020 Olympic organizers hold joint news conference in Tokyo, May 21, 2021.

Public sentiment against staging the Olympics has been growing amid a surge of new infections that has overwhelmed hospitals across the country. Tokyo and other regions in Japan are under a state of emergency that expires on May 31, but will likely be extended through June.

The Asahi Shimbun, whose liberal-leaning editorial stance places it opposite those of Prime Minister Suga’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, is the first major Japanese newspaper to call for the event’s cancelation, despite being one of its major sponsors. The Tokyo Medical Practitioners Association, which represents about 6,000 primary care doctors and hospitals, has also called on Suga to convince the International Olympic Committee to cancel the games.

The Shimbun’s editorial comes just two days after the U.S. government issued a warning for its citizens not to travel to Japan because of the new surge of COVID-19 cases.

The Tokyo Olympics are scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 8 after a one-year postponement as the novel coronavirus pandemic began spreading across the globe.

In Australia, the southern state of Victoria is dealing with a new outbreak of COVID-19 cases. Acting state Premier James Merlino told reporters Wednesday health authorities have identified six new coronavirus infections in Melbourne, bringing the total number of infections in the capital city to 15.
  

In this May 10, 2021, file photo, a Fire and Rescue worker receives a Pfizer vaccine at the newly opened COVID-19 vaccination center in Sydney, Australia.

The new cases are linked to an overseas traveler who became infected during his mandatory hotel quarantine phase. Merlino says all the cases are related, which he described as “a good thing,” but said officials are “very concerned by the number and by the kind of exposure sites.” He has imposed new mandatory mask wearing in restaurants, hotels and other indoor venues until June 4, and warned that the next 24 hours “are going to be particularly critical.”

As of Wednesday, there are 167.8 million confirmed COVID-19 cases around the world, including 3.4 million deaths, according to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Center. The United States leads both categories with 33.1 million total COVID-19 cases and 590,941 fatalities, with India in second place with just over 27.1 million coronavirus cases and 311,388 deaths.

The World Health Organization said Tuesday the world gained a total of 4.1 million new COVID-19 cases over a one-week period that ended May 23, a decrease of 14 percent, while recording 84,000 new fatalities during that same period, representing a 2 percent decrease.

#notokyololympics

IOC's call for 'sacrifice' angers Japanese public ahead of Tokyo Olympics



Japan has not canceled the Tokyo Olympics despite popular opposition to holding the Summer Games in 2021. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo

May 24 (UPI) -- The International Olympic Committee is drawing rebuke in Japan after senior officials said the Tokyo Olympics should go ahead as planned despite the ongoing surge in COVID-19.

Japanese commenters on social media platforms say that IOC President Thomas Bach and Vice President John Coates are disregarding Japanese public opinion and forcing the Summer Games to be held despite opposition, The Guardian reported Monday.

On Twitter, one commenter said, "Thomas Bach and John Coates are neck and neck in the race for the most hated pariah here. I predict a dead heat," the report said.

The reaction comes after Bach said Saturday that sacrifices are needed to make the Olympics happen, despite the ongoing global pandemic.

RELATED Japan may not be able to cancel Olympics, even if it wants to

"The athletes definitely can make their Olympic dreams come true," Bach told representatives of the International Hockey Federation. "We have to make some sacrifices to make this possible."

Bach also praised the "resilience" of the Japanese people, the report said. His use of the word "sacrifice" is angering people on Twitter.

"Why do people in Japan have to make a sacrifice for Olympics during a worldwide pandemic? It is definitely not acceptable," the user said.

RELATED IOC chief to send medical staff to Tokyo Olympics

According to Softbank Group chief executive Masayoshi Son, 80% of Japanese want the Olympics postponed again or canceled.

Canceling the Olympics could mean Olympic insurers could stand to lose $2 to $3 billion, according to estimates from investment bank Jeffries earlier this year.

Any decision to cancel may largely be up to the IOC. According to Alexandre Miguel Mestre, the committee "owns" the Olympics and the powerful organization alone can terminate a Games contract, the BBC reported.

Japan may have even fewer incentives to call for a cancelation. Professor Jack Anderson at the University of Melbourne told the BBC that if Japan were to unilaterally cancel, the risks and losses would fall with the local organizing committee.

A Japan-IOC joint agreement to cancel would trigger insurance claims. Anderson said it would be the "biggest insurance payout event of its kind."

Insurance still would not cover indirect costs associated with investments across the economy, however, the report said

Edibles driving pot-related calls to U.S. poison control hotlines

BODY STONE CAN BE OVERWHELMING

By Dennis Thompson, 

HealthDay News
MAY 26, 2021 

Newfangled marijuana products -- edibles, concentrates, vapes -- are driving an overall increase in pot-related calls to U.S. poison control centers, a new study shows.

There were more than 11,100 calls related to marijuana use in 2019, up from about 8,200 in 2017, researchers said.

More and more of those calls are related to manufactured products that contain distilled amounts of THC, CBD and other chemicals found in cannabis.

"We saw this generalized increase in calls nationally," said lead researcher Julia Dilley, an epidemiologist with the Oregon Public Health Division in Portland.
RELATED Study: Some cannabis products may not deliver CBD, THC listed on labels



"But when we dug into it, that increase is being driven by these manufactured products," Dilley continued. "Flower cannabis exposure calls are actually declining."

Pot plant exposures made up the bulk of calls to centers in 2017, with 7,146 pertaining to marijuana plants and just 1,094 related to manufactured products.

But by 2019, calls related to manufactured products totaled 5,503 while pot plant exposure prompted 5,606 calls.
RELATED Study dispels 'lazy stoner' myth: Pot users don't exercise any less



The findings were published this week in the journal JAMA Network Open.

Manufactured products tend to contain large amounts of THC, the chemical in pot plants that causes intoxication, and these numbers show that they pose a greater risk for causing a bad reaction.

More than 81% of calls related to manufactured products came from people using those products on their own, not in combination with alcohol or some other substance, Dilley noted.
RELATED Demand for legal pot driving growth of industry's swelling carbon footprint



"It only took the cannabis product exposure to be serious enough that there was some sort of help needed," Dilley said.
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Poisoning hazards rise

On the other hand, only 38% of pot plant use calls came from using marijuana alone. "They were more often using it with alcohol or some other substance in the mix," Dilley said.

Edibles make up the greatest share of poison control calls related to manufactured products, accounting for just over half of the exposures.

And "edible product exposures are more likely to be [involving] children than other types of products, so that's certainly a concern," Dilley said.

Over three years of poison control center calls, there were 2,505 cases involving manufactured products and kids younger than 10, versus 1,490 reported plant-based exposures in that age group, researchers said.

However, Dilley emphasized that more than 60% of the time, these exposures caused minor medical problems. Most of the time, people call in because they just aren't feeling right.

"Some people might be experiencing something that scares them," Dilley said. "Maybe they're feeling dizzy and they don't know if that's OK or not, and so they call but they don't really need medical treatment."

The poison control call rate was higher in states where recreational use of marijuana has been legalized, researchers found.

For example, the rate of manufactured product calls was 2.5 per 100,000 people in 2019 in legalization states, versus 1.3 per 100,000 in states where recreational pot is still outlawed.

"This tells us that states that have legalized marijuana are not doing enough to protect children from its harms," said Linda Richter, vice president of prevention research and analysis for the Partnership to End Addiction.
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"Edibles can too easily be mistaken for popular types of candy and other sweets and are often designed and packaged in a way that explicitly appeals to young people [e.g., gummy bears, mini chocolate bars with names and branding that mimic popular brands]," Richter continued.

"Vaped marijuana is odorless and extremely discreet and, therefore, carries all the same risks to children that we saw emerge from the recent nicotine vaping epidemic," she said.Child-resistant packaging cuts risk

State regulators could play a strong role in protecting children from inadvertent exposures to marijuana, Dilley said.

"We can design packages that are tough for kids to get into," Dilley noted. "I know Washington state requires that each serving of an edible is separately wrapped, so if a child finds an edible product they have to open each individual dose separately. That makes it a little tougher for kids to get into it and be accidentally exposed."

NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano pointed out another reason why call rates might be higher in states with legal recreational use -- folks in those places might feel more comfortable calling a poison control center, because they face no potential criminal charges.

But he agreed that there is a role for state regulators to play in these new recreational markets.

"These products ought to be uniquely and distinctly labeled in a manner that makes it readily clear that they contain cannabis and sold in child-resistant packaging, so as to better discourage inadvertent consumption," Armentano said.

Increased public education about the differences between manufactured products and marijuana plant use also would help, he added.
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"With non-traditional cannabis-infused products becoming more prevalent in the retail market, parallel efforts ought to be made to increase public awareness with respect to the dramatic differences in herbal versus orally consumed products," Armentano said. "At a minimum, potential consumers should be informed that cannabis-infused oral products possess delayed onset, greater variability, and prolonged duration of effect compared to inhaled marijuana.

"The imposition of sensible regulations on the cannabis industry, coupled with better public safety information and greater consumer responsibility and accountability, are the best strategies to address cannabis-specific health concerns due to the inadvertent ingestion or over-ingestion of these products," Armentano concluded.

Parents should also be encouraged not to leave pot products lying casually around, in easy access of children, Richter said.

"As is true of any addictive substance, if these products are in the home, adults should be sure to safeguard children from them by ensuring that they remain out of sight and out of reach of young people," Richter said.

"If adults do use them in the presence of children, they should be very careful to explain that they are dangerous for children to touch or ingest and should refrain from conveying in any way that the products are harmless or fun or needed to relax and enjoy oneself," she said.More information

The U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse has more about marijuana.




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Medical, faith leaders call for equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines


People wait to receive COVID-19 vaccine doses at one of the largest vaccination sites at Radhaswami Satsang, in New Delhi, India, on May 4, 2021. World health and faith leaders on Monday urged nations to ensure equitable access to vaccines. Photo by Abhishek/UPI | License Photo

May 24 (UPI) -- Global faith leaders and leading medical professionals on Monday called on governments the world over to ensure equitable distribution and access to COVID-19 vaccines, calling it a "humanitarian imperative."

In a letter published Monday and signed by the likes of World Health Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the faith and health leaders said the world was at "a turning point" with countries and organizations facing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to address global inequality and reverse the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"There is a choice," they said. "The world of the next 10 years can be one of greater justice, abundance and dignity. Or it can be one of conflict, insecurity and poverty."

The letter was also signed by Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of al-Azhar; Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross; Bishop Ivan M. Abrahams, general secretary of the World Methodist Council; Filippo Grandi, U.N. high commissioner for refugees; Henrietta H. Fore, executive director of UNICEF; and Francesco Rocca, president of the International Federation of Red Crosse and Red Crescent Societies as well as other Jewish, Christian and Islamic leaders.

The letter's signatories said no country has been unscathed by the pandemic, which has exposed and exacerbated inequalities both between and within countries.

"We have a choice: vaccine nationalism or human solidarity," they said.

The leaders are calling for equitable access to vaccines between countries by providing doses, sharing knowledge and expertise and fully funding the WHO-led Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, which is working to provide equitable access to coronavirus-fighting tools, including vaccines and diagnostics.

They are also calling for equitable access within countries to ensure all have access to vaccines and to support countries financially, politically and technically to ensure a global COVD-19 health strategy.

"We are committed, in our different institutions, to offering all the help we can to support actions by communities and authorities," they said.

The leaders, however, also said the world needs to ensure urgent access to vaccines for all, not just COVID-19 vaccines but vaccines for diseases that continue to infect with serious outcomes.

They said they support a so-called health for all policy, in which "each person's life is valued and every person's right to healthcare is upheld."

"People not only need vaccinations -- they need access to healthcare workers who are skilled and equipped to deliver adequate medical support," they said.

The call is the latest from WHO leaders who have been warning against vaccine nationalism for months.

In late March, Tedros chastised rich nations for rapidly seeking to inoculate their entire populations at the cost of lives in poorer nations that had yet to receive their first doses.

He said then that vaccine disparity was "becoming more grotesque every day."

In the letter Monday, the leaders said it was "time for decisive leadership."

"In doing so, they will bring hope not only for the poorest in the world, but for us all," they said.

The COVAX vaccine program, which is one of four pillars that make up the ACT initiative, has as of Friday shipped more than 69 million vaccine doses to 125 participating nations, according to its website.

Explosive weapons in conflict mostly harm civilians, study shows



A birthday greeting hangs on the wall of an apartment building hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip in Petah Tikva. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo

May 25 (UPI) -- Explosive weapons in populated areas have killed and injured civilians more than 90% of the time over the past 10 years, according to a study released Tuesday by a London-based organization calling for an end to their use.

The group Action on Armed Violence said in its Explosive Violence Monitoring Project that almost 240,000 civilians were killed or injured by such weapons between 2011 and 2020.

"When explosive weapons were used in populated areas, 91% of those killed and injured were civilians. This compares to 25% in other areas," the group said.

The group defines explosive weapons as including a variety of munitions, such as air-dropped bombs, mortars, improvised explosive devices and artillery shells.

RELATED Voices: Gaza's enhanced rocket technology challenges Israel's defenses

AOAV Executive Director Iain Overton pointed to the ongoing conflict in Israel, for example, where many Palestinians have been killed and injured in populated locations, like buildings and settlements.

The group also noted the conflict in Gaza, which has been under a cease-fire for less than a week after 11 days of Israeli bombardment.

"When explosive weapons are used in towns and cities, civilians will be harmed," Overton told The Guardian. "[It is] as true as it is today in Gaza as it was a decade ago in Iraq and beyond."

The group said it's documented close to 360,000 deaths and injuries overall by explosive weapons in 30,000 incidents in the past decade. It said civilians made up 73% of those deaths, or about 262,000.

"Since the monitor began, AOAV has recorded the appalling suffering caused across the globe by both manufactured and improvised weapons," the 55-page report states.

"We call on states and other users to commit politically to stop using explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas."

SKY PIRACY
U.N.: Belarus' 'abduction' of journalist escalates crackdown on civil society

A spokesman for the U.N. Human Rights Commission accused Belarus on Tuesday of abducting journalist Roman Protasevich over the weekend. Photo by EPA-EFE

May 25 (UPI) -- A United Nations Human Rights Commissioner official warned Tuesday that the Lukashenko regime's hijacking of a commercial airliner with intent to "abduct" a journalist on board represents a "new phase" in its crackdown on civil society.

Rupert Colville, spokesman for the U.N. commissioner, lambasted the government of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during a press briefing concerning the arrest of journalist Roman Protasevich over the weekend.

"This arbitrary arrest is a sign of an extremely worrying escalation in the crackdown on dissenting voices, not just of journalists but also of Belarusian human rights defenders and other civil society actors, including those living abroad," he said.

Protasevich, an exiled journalist critical of Lukashenko, was on a Ryanair flight en route from Athens, Greece, to Vilnius, Lithuania, on Sunday when the plane landed under the escort of a Belarusian fighter jet in Minsk where he and his girlfriend, Sofia Sapaga, were arrested.

"The manner, through threat of military force, in which Protasevich was abducted from the jurisdiction of another state and brought within that of Belarus was tantamount to an extraordinary rendition," Colville said. "Such abuse of state power against a journalist for exercising functions that are protected under international law is receiving, and deserves, the strongest condemnation."

Belarus has said the downing of the plane was prompted by a bomb threat and Protasevich was arrested on charges of organizing mass riots and whose name was included in a national terrorist watch list.

On Monday, a video apparently shot by authorities shows Protasevich with marks on his face confessing to having led large-scale anti-government protests last year following August's widely discredited election that saw Lukashenko elected to a sixth term.

U.S. President Joe Biden had raised suspicions Protasevich made the confession under duress on Sunday, worries that Colville shares.

"We fear for Roman Protasevich's safety and wish to seek assurances that he is treated humanely and is not subjected to ill treatment or torture. His appearance on state TV last night was not reassuring, given that apparent bruising to his face, and the strong likelihood that his appearance was not voluntary and his 'confession' to serious crimes was forced."

Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also raised concerns Tuesday from Vilnius, where she remains in exile, that the 26-year-old journalist has been tortured.

"He said that he is being treated lawfully but he is clearly beaten and under pressure," she said, Voice of America reported. "There is no doubt that he may be tortured."

According to Minsk-based Visana Human Rights Center, Protasevich's legal representatives have not been granted permission to speak with their client despite visiting the pre-trial detention center and other security facilities.

The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Belarus to the United Nations rejected Colville's comments in a strongly worded statement later Tuesday, calling him "a mid-level employee" without authorization to speak on issues of sovereign states.

The mission said Protasevich is a suspect in several criminal cases and was arrested in connection to an international search warrant, stating his arrest was made "on fully legitimate grounds."

"Mr. Colville's qualifications of Belarus' actions in relation to the detention of Mr. Protasevich, a citizen of Belarus, as 'unlawful,' 'arbitrary' and 'abuse' clearly show that the above official went beyond both his powers and the office's mandate," it said. "In so doing, he disregarded both the principle of impartiality that all U.N. international officials must consistently uphold and the doctrine of the presumption of innocence."

The office accused Western nations who have described the incident as state-sponsored hijacking did so without evidence.

"The Belarusian authorities, in accordance with their international obligations, invited these and other organizations, as well as the relevant competent authorities of the United States and the European Union to take part in the investigation," it said.

The comments were made a day after the EU swiftly decided to impose sanctions against the country and for EU aircraft to stay clear of Belarusian airspace as well as banning Minsk planes for landing at their airports. The United States also said it is considering punitive measures.

Both the bloc and the United States, among other western countries, have imposed sanctions and restrictions against the Lukashenko regime over Belarus' August election they deemed to be neither free nor fair and due its security forces escalating crackdown on subsequent protests that forced opposition leaders into exile.

The Viasna Human Rights Center has as of Wednesday tallied 421 political prisoners in the country, most of whom were arrested following the August election.

Following the EU's decision Monday, airlines and countries have said they will be staying clear of Belarus.

Ryanair said none of its flights will fly over Belarus in accordance with the EU guidance. Singapore Airlines, Air France, Lufthansa and British Airways are also avoiding the country.

Finnair announced it will also be discounting use of Belarus' airspace "until further notice."



Meanwhile, the governments of Britain, Lithuanian and others have said their aircraft will avoid Belarus' airspace.

Belavia, Belarus' airliner, announced that due to bans instituted by various countries against it landing at their airports, it was cancelling flights to and from Lithuania, Britain, France and the Ukraine.

In the United States, Biden has come under pressure to do more than issue statements concerning the arrest with U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., calling on him in a letter to direct the Federal Aviation Administration to prohibit U.S. aircraft from Belarus' air space.

Following the arrest, Biden issued a statement stating he has directed his administration to develop options in conjunction with EU and other partners to "hold accountable those responsible."

During a press conference Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that "he's asked his team to put together some options for him."

Meanwhile, Belarus on Tuesday has decided to close its embassy in Canada as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned Protasevich's arrest and said the Lukashenko regime's behavior is "outrageous, illegal and completely unacceptable."

"This was a clear attack on democracy and on the freedom of the press," he said during a press conference. "We condemn it and call for his immediate release."

Canada, which has previously sanctioned Belarus since August, is considering further options, he said.

It is unclear if the embassy's closure was in response to Trudeau's comments.

The embassy said it will suspend its services starting Sept. 1.

SARS-like outbreak in 2012 spotlights role of Wuhan researchers

China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology was the center of bat coronavirus research, but has denied any connection to the coronavirus outbreak in the central Chinese city. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo


May 25 (UPI) -- A bat cave that was the epicenter of a mysterious pneumonia outbreak in 2012 may have been the origin of a virus related to SARS-CoV-2, but experts remain divided about its connection to the global COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent press report.

The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the cave was first brought to the attention of China's medical community nearly a decade ago, when workers in it fell ill after clearing out bat excrement.

The report comes after researchers at China's Wuhan Institute of Virology said Friday they have found a new branch in the family tree of bat coronaviruses that have the potential to swap parts, according to the South China Morning Post.

The outbreak at the cave in China's southwest Mojiang region began when a 42-year-old man with the surname Lu was clearing the cave. Lu fell ill and was admitted to a local hospital.

Li Xiu, a student at China's No. 1 School of Clinical Medicine at Kunming Medical University, wrote his thesis about Lu's condition, noting that Lu was admitted to hospital care April 2, 2012, and exhibited symptoms of fever and cough for two weeks. Lu also coughed up mucus spotted with blood and experienced trouble breathing, the paper said.

Top Chinese health officials were alerted to the situation after five other workers, ranging in age from 30 to 63, also were hospitalized.

Zhong Nanshan, a Chinese respiratory disease expert who was the first to publicly disclose that COVID-19 transmits between people, diagnosed pneumonia at the time. A student of George Gao, the current chief of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said four of the miners tested positive for SARS antibodies.

RELATED China denies three Wuhan lab researchers fell ill in November 2019

Scientists at WIV were alerted to the case in 2012 and began to extract genetic material from fecal samples of bats in the Mojiang mine. They called the virus they found RaBtCoV/4991, according to the Journal.

RaBtCoV/4991 was found to "easily exchange genetic material with similar ones to create a new coronavirus," the report said, citing research by Shi Zhengli, the Chinese scientist who headed WIV's bat coronavirus research.

Shi and other scientists also published in February 2020 a paper on the existence of a virus called RaTG13 that was 96.2% similar to SARS-CoV-2.

RaTG13 and RaBtCoV/4991 were found to have "striking similarities" by scientists outside China. Shi also conducted experiments at WIV in 2018 and 2019 to test whether bat coronaviruses could bind to an enzyme in human cells. Shi has not responded to requests for comment, according to the Journal.

DRC volcano: More than 100 children missing, earthquakes hit bordering area, Rwanda

Congolese residents of Goma flee from Mount Nyiragongo volcano as it erupts over Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo Saturday evening. File Photo by Kinsella Cunningham/EPA-EFE

May 25 (UPI) -- The search continued Tuesday for more than 100 children missing since the Mount Nyiragongo volcano eruption in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Mount Nyiragongo volcano in the eastern DRC erupted Saturday evening, with the lava flowing through the northern district of Goma, flattening hundreds of homes and killing more than 30 people, according to the BBC's latest death toll.

The destruction has left parents desperately searching through the rubble for their missing children while the Red Cross and government officials try to reunite families, the BBC reported Tuesday.

The United Nations children's agency, UNICEF, said in a statement Sunday more than 170 children were feared to be missing with 150 of them separated from their families as thousands who had been evacuated returned to the DRC amid concern their homes would be damaged and utilities disrupted.

RELATED Deadly Typhoon Surigae leaves flooding, damage behind in Philippines

Meanwhile, a 5.3-magnitude earthquake was among a series of quakes to hit western Rwanda's Rubavu district bordering the east DRC Tuesday morning where Congolese residents had fled to escape the Mount Nyiragongo volcanic eruption in Goma, Xinhua reported.

The earthquakes have ripped through houses, schools, and several roads, Rubava Mayor Gilbert Habyarimana told Xinhua, prompting several families to flee their homes out of fear they could cave in on them if there is a major earthquake.

The Mount Nyiragongo volcano is one of the largest in the world. Saturday's eruption was the last large eruption since a 2002 eruption that killed 250 people and displaced thousands, CNN reported.

PHOTOS DRC volcano: More than 100 children missing, earthquakes hit bordering area, Rwanda - UPI.com

AP: 

Myanmar’s junta uses bodies as tools of terror

Duration: 03:29 

An investigation by The Associated Press and the Human Rights Center Investigations Lab at the University of California, Berkeley, identified more than 130 cases where Myanmar security forces appeared to be using bodies as tools of terror. (May 26)