
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday <a href="https://www.faa.gov/space/stakeholder_engagement/spacex_starship" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">granted a license</a> to billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX for its highly anticipated second launch of its Starship rocket, clearing the way for a test flight as soon as this week, after more than six months being grounded since its previous launch ended in a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/04/20/spacex-starship-explodes-after-launch/?sh=670a7bb36645">fiery explosion</a>.\</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>SpaceX’s Starship, an ambitious program intended to eventually take passengers to the moon and Mars, has met “all safety, environmental, policy and financial responsibility requirements,” the FAA determined.</p>



<p>The FAA’s approval gives SpaceX the go-ahead for a second launch at its Boca Chica launch site in Cameron County, Texas, south of Corpus Christi.</p>



<p>In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, SpaceX said it plans to conduct the launch between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. local time on Friday.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>In April, a SpaceX rocket that had been scheduled to travel 150 miles into Earth’s atmosphere suddenly exploded several minutes after take-off, which SpaceX called a “rapid unscheduled disassembly before stage separation.” SpaceX initially planned its next test launch “in a few months,” Musk—who also owns X and Tesla—said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1649050306943266819" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">post</a>&nbsp;on his social media platform. SpaceX also&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1649045802332073986" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;April’s test, despite its explosion, “will help us improve Starship’s reliability.” The FAA was later sued by a group of environmental and cultural heritage organizations, who alleged the agency erred in its approval of the test launch and that its approval violated federal environmental law.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/05/01/faa-sued-over-spacex-starship-explosion/?sh=39c6f88679de">Plaintiffs argued</a>&nbsp;the FAA failed to conduct a full environmental review and did not require SpaceX to mitigate potential environmental harm.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>NASA partnered with SpaceX in April 2021 to develop a landing system to take astronauts to the moon for the space agency’s Artemis III mission, another program aimed at bringing astronauts back to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-fact">SURPRISING FACT</h2>



<p>At 400 feet tall, the Starship rocket is the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.space.com/elon-musk-shows-off-starship-sn20-super-heavy-stack-february-2022" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tallest and most powerful</a>&nbsp;rocket ever built.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/04/20/spacex-starship-explodes-after-launch/?sh=670a7bb36645">SpaceX Starship Explodes After Launch</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2023/04/08/elon-musks-spacex-is-about-to-launch-starship-into-orbit-around-earth/?sh=4dc7196b1ce1">Elon Musk’s SpaceX Is About To Launch ‘Starship’ Into Orbit Around Earth</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>


A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the third pair of O3b

SpaceX Cleared For Second Starship Test Flight—After First Exploded


<p><strong>The UNICEF has secured a four-year supply of the newly WHO-approved R21/Matrix-M vaccine that could revolutionize malaria prevention, especially in Africa where 90% of fatalities occur.</strong></p>



<p>Malaria, one of the most widely-known parasitic diseases to mankind, takes the life of a child every minute according to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, with almost 620,000 deaths per year. A staggering 241 million people contract the disease annually, illustrating the global scope of this public health crisis.</p>



<p>Now, a new vaccine has joined the world in the fight against the disease, having obtained WHO approval earlier this month. The United Nations Children&#8217;s Fund (UNICEF) has entered into an agreement to procure a four-year supply of the newly approved R21/Matrix-M vaccine from mid-2024.</p>



<p>The new vaccine is a product of over 35 years of vaccine research, a collaboration between the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India, notable in that it is only the second malaria vaccine approved for public use. The first, known as RTS,S, initiated the ground-breaking work in this field but was less efficacious.</p>



<p>Dubbed R21/Matrix-M, it is the first to surpass a 75% efficacy rate, providing protection of up to two years against symptomatic malaria with a single booster – which could be a ground-breaking shift in the fight to eradicate the disease, particularly on the African continent, where some 90% of the fatalities from the illness occur.</p>



<p>&#8220;It is heartbreaking and unacceptable that almost half a million children die of malaria every year. This agreement is a critical step towards protecting more children from this deadly disease,&#8221; said Director of UNICEF Supply Division Leila Pakkala in a press statement announcing the signing of UNICEF&#8217;s supply agreement.</p>



<p>The obtaining of the WHO&#8217;s endorsement earlier this month was critical to allow international bodies such as UNICEF to begin procuring the vaccines, with WHO having vetted the safety profile and efficacy of R21/Matrix-M.</p>



<p>Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the Serum Institute of India, commemorated the WHO endorsement in a press release: &#8220;For far too long, malaria has threatened the lives of billions of people across the globe, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable amongst us. This is why the WHO recommendation and approval of the R21/Matrix-MTM vaccine marks a huge milestone on our journey to combat this life-threatening disease.&#8221;</p>



<p>The Serum Institute of India has already begun to prepare the production capability to deliver up to 100 million doses per year, to be doubled in the coming two years.</p>



<p><strong>Cost and Delivery</strong></p>



<p>Critically, for a vaccine that aims to prevent severe disease primarily in lower-income countries, the R21/Matrix-M is expected to cost only between $2 and $4 per dose, with an initial regimen consisting of one dose every month for three months, and one booster within the next 12 months – meaning that a full treatment protocol offering high levels of protection for almost two years costs less than $16.</p>



<p>Countries have already begun to factor in the new vaccine into their epidemiological planning, with both Ghana and Nigeria having obtained approval for the vaccine&#8217;s use – Ghana too has begun establishing a vaccine factory in Accra for this purpose in collaboration with the Serum Institute of India.</p>



<p><strong>The Path Forward</strong></p>



<p>Despite the leaps in vaccine development, challenges persist. While vaccines like R21/Matrix-M are revolutionary, they are not the final answer to a disease as complex and historically persistent as malaria. In the interim, nations continue to deploy traditional methods like insecticides, improved housing, and swamp drainage, especially in regions where malaria remains prevalent. It&#8217;s also worth mentioning that mRNA technology, catalyzed by COVID-19 research, holds the promise of even more effective vaccines in the future.</p>



<p>Global efforts have already made significant strides; the WHO reports a 90% decline in malaria mortality rates in the 20th century, but with many in the world still suffering under high rates of the disease, the new vaccine could be key in reducing fatalities in the years to come.</p>


R21-Vaccination (11 of 20); image credit University of Oxford, Tom Wilkinson

The Vaccine That Could Turn The Tide On Malaria In Africa, Where The Disease Is One Of The Biggest Killers


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>The Food and Drug Administration gave&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/coronavirus-covid-19-cber-regulated-biologics/novavax-covid-19-vaccine-adjuvanted#:~:text=Novavax%20COVID-19%20Vaccine%2C%20Adjuvanted%20is%20available%20under%20emergency%20use,years%20of%20age%20and%20older" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emergency use authorization</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday to Novavax’s new Covid vaccine designed to target the coronavirus’ dominant XBB sublineage, which is fueling a spike in cases, hospitalizations and deaths across the country.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>At&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/updated-covid-vaccine-who-should-get-it-and-when-it-will-be-available" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">$130</a>&nbsp;a dose, the vaccine was approved for those 12 years and older—for those already vaccinated with any vaccine, one dose can be given at least two months after a person’s last Covid shot, and two doses administered three months apart can be given to the unvaccinated.</p>



<p>Novavax’s approval follows the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/willskipworth/2023/09/11/fda-approves-new-covid-vaccines-to-target-latest-strains/?sh=1be38e906e09">approval</a>&nbsp;of Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech’s monovalent vaccines targeting new coronavirus variant, which were also given emergency use authorization last month by the FDA for those six months and older.</p>



<p>This comes after the agency&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/169591/download?attachment" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">encouraged</a>&nbsp;Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax to create new monovalent vaccines that target the XBB lineage, which makes up the majority of the variants circulating in the U.S.</p>



<p>The Novavax vaccine&nbsp;<a href="https://ir.novavax.com/press-releases/US-CDC-and-Advisory-Committee-Recommend-Use-of-Authorized-and-Approved-2023-2024-Monovalent-XBB-COVID-19-Vaccines" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">received approval</a>&nbsp;from an advisory committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month, though it still awaits approval from the agency’s director.</p>



<p>This is the first time since the shots were commercialized that they won’t be free, and both&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-business-covid-medicare-1a5d65356ebc7b5bc76524ae99deb55e" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pfizer</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/moderna-expects-price-its-covid-vaccine-about-130-us-2023-03-20/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Moderna</a>&nbsp;estimate their shots will cost between $110 and $130 a dose.</p>



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<p>By signing up, you accept and agree to our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/terms-and-conditions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Terms of Service</a>&nbsp;(including the class action waiver and arbitration provisions), and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/privacy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Privacy Statement</a>.</p>



<p>Though most insurance companies are expected to cover the cost of Covid boosters, the CDC’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/07/13/cdc-launch-bridge-access-program-fall-2023-provide-free-covid-19-vaccines-treatments-uninsured-underinsured-adults.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bridge Program</a>&nbsp;is set to launch this fall, providing Covid vaccine coverage to the uninsured.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Covid-related deaths and hospitalizations have increased since the start of the summer and are expected to keep rising as fall and winter kick into gear. Deaths increased by 8% between September 17 and September 23, and hospitalizations stood at 19,079 during this period, according to the CDC’s most recent data. EG.5, or the “Eris” variant—part of the XBB lineage—is the dominant strain in the U.S., making up 29.4% of all cases between September 17 and September 30. As of June, the XBB omicron subvariants made up 95% of all Covid cases in the U.S., according to an FDA&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/169591/download?attachment" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a>. The existing bivalent boosters offer about 50% protection against XBB variants in most adults and about 33% protection in those 65 years and older, according to a January&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7205e1.htm?s_cid=mm7205e1_w" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>&nbsp;conducted by the CDC. Moderna&nbsp;<a href="https://investors.modernatx.com/news/news-details/2023/Moderna-Clinical-Trial-Data-Confirm-Its-Updated-COVID-19-Vaccine-Generates-Robust-Immune-Response-in-Humans-Against-Widely-Circulating-Variants/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;its new booster may be effective at protecting against the Eris variant, Novavax&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/22/covid-novavax-vaccine-eris-variant.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;its shot provided a broad immune response against Eris in small animals and Pfizer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizers-updated-covid-shot-effective-against-eris-variant-mice-study-2023-08-17/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;its new shot protected against the variant when tested on mice. Because the current bivalent boosters don’t specifically protect against XBB, some experts&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/08/21/new-covid-boosters-expected-this-fall-why-some-doctors-suggest-holding-off-on-getting-your-next-booster-until-then/?sh=447d21af438b">recommend</a>&nbsp;waiting until the new monovalent boosters release before getting an updated shot.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-contra">CONTRA</h2>



<p>An earlier round of updated Covid boosters provided additional protection against previous variants, but only&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccination-states-jurisdictions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">17%</a>&nbsp;of the U.S. has received at least one booster.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>A new Covid variant called BA.2.86, or “Pirola,” is a descendant of the BA sublineage and has begun circulating in the U.S. Although there aren’t enough cases for it to appear on the CDC’s variant tracker, the World Health Organization has&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1692255671687794902" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">labeled</a>&nbsp;it as a variant under monitoring. This is because Pirola has 36 more&nbsp;<a href="https://slides.com/jbloom/new_2nd_gen_ba2_variant?ftag=YHF4eb9d17#/3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mutation spikes</a>&nbsp;than XBB.1.5—the dominant strain in the U.S. earlier this year—and 34 additional mutations compared to BA.2. Pirola isn’t a descendant of the XBB sublineages, so there may be concern they won’t protect against Pirola. However, Moderna&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/09/06/modernas-updated-covid-vaccine-is-effective-against-pirola-variant-as-concern-over-new-strain-grows/?sh=3f334501a06c">said</a>&nbsp;Wednesday its new booster provided an 8.7-fold increase in neutralizing antibodies against Pirola in its clinical trial.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fda-green-light-new-covid-boosters-early-friday-rcna103379" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FDA could green light new Covid boosters as early as Friday</a>&nbsp;(NBC)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/09/06/modernas-updated-covid-vaccine-is-effective-against-pirola-variant-as-concern-over-new-strain-grows/?sh=3f334501a06c">Moderna’s Updated Covid Vaccine Is Effective Against Pirola Variant—As Concern Over New Strain Grows</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/08/21/new-covid-boosters-expected-this-fall-why-some-doctors-suggest-holding-off-on-getting-your-next-booster-until-then/?sh=447d21af438b">New Covid Boosters Expected This Fall: Why Some Doctors Suggest Holding Off On Getting Your Next Booster Until Then</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/09/01/its-ok-to-get-your-covid-flu-and-rsv-shots-at-the-same-time-experts-say/?sh=486139df3099">It’s Okay To Get Your Covid, Flu And RSV Shots At The Same Time, Experts Say</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>


Vaccinations at Egoli Township as Omicron Cases Spread

FDA Approves Novavax’s New Covid Vaccine Designed To Protect Against The Latest Strain


<p>&#8216;Sustained crisis’. I came across this terminology in a <em>Harvard Business Review </em>article recently, and it immediately struck a chord with my struggles running my company and also with what I see in the world around me.</p>



<p>The Covid-19 pandemic was a global crisis that came out of the blue, and we were all in it together. It did not matter which country we lived in or what our backgrounds were. It was a common fight.</p>



<p>But post-pandemic, we are dealing with a world that has become economically volatile for varying reasons, and it is becoming clearer that each country will first protect its own people and its own interests. Likewise, it has hit the interdependence of certain structures with a fragility like never before. And this has not abated since 2020.</p>



<p>For countries that are largely donor-dependent for their development needs and for humanitarian aid spending, vulnerabilities have increased. The aid narrative comes with its own politics and interests.</p>



<p>Several studies point to the fact that foreign aid is not as generous as it used to be.</p>



<p>In 2022, Ukraine accounted for a large chunk of foreign aid. And now many donor countries are facing pressures of their own from the post Covid-19 economic downturn to geopolitical vulnerabilities and political instabilities that have persisted over a long time.</p>



<p>Developing economies struggle with unsustainable debt burdens, rising food costs and liquidity crises. It is estimated by the World Bank that 7% of the world’s population will still be living in poverty by 2030.</p>



<p>For entrepreneurs in many countries, the ecosystem has changed significantly. Inflation persists and markets continue to shrink. Doing business has become costlier and more complex and negotiating the scale of challenges more difficult.</p>



<p>With increased advanced technological interface in business operations, the ecosystem demands a different resilience that government and business leaders must adopt and adapt to at a faster pace.</p>



<p>The common man is forced to navigate his needs confronted with higher prices, declining savings, more borrowing and employment loss. </p>



<p>In Nepal, where I am, the middle- and lower-income demographic is struggling with job cuts, unpaid salaries, cutdown on consumer expenditure and access to loans. There is a relentless outflow of Nepali youth entering the international labor market. The country’s central bank macroeconomic report shows that in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, the government has issued permits for over 660,000 Nepalis to work abroad. This number excludes Nepalis going to India for work and the migration of students. </p>



<p>When young people see no future to build their lives in their country, it hurts the productivity and pride of the nation; but there is nothing to hold them back.</p>



<p>A crisis response is effective within a contained timeframe but when there is a prolonged state of crisis, the response needs to be inspired by a wider and more inclusive approach.</p>



<p>I ask what then is the lifeblood that will enable countries to navigate what is now a sustained crisis? Can countries do it alone?</p>



<p>Does this mark the departure of multilateralism? Why are the terms ‘deglobalization’ and ‘dedollarization’ increasingly making the rounds of panel discussions and economic reports?</p>



<p>The lifeblood perhaps lies in our ability to pause, reflect and continue. I believe that sustained crisis can only be overcome by sustained action. However, action must come from deeper values of integrity, innovation and compassion in the unfolding world order. It requires leaders – government and business – to be focused, flexible and decisive. Economic growth and social progress must be given equal emphasis. It requires citizens across the world to be more aware about their choices and actions. This is, perhaps, each one’s obligation and opportunity to create a meaningful world.</p>



<p><em><strong>A writer-photographer from Nepal who keeps the values of freedom and compassion at the core of her work</strong></em></p>


Kathmandu, city view

‘Sustained Crisis Can Only Be Overcome By Sustained Action’


<p><strong>Hydrogen powered fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) are extremely rare. BMW plans to bring a small fleet of iX5 Hydrogen cars to South Africa in 2024 to gauge interest with government representatives, thought leaders and potential customers. We got a sneak preview of the car at the IAA Mobility 2023 show in Munich.</strong></p>



<p>The world’s largest hydrogen-powered mining vehicle was launched in South Africa by multi-national mining company Anglo American in 2022. The prototype mine haul hybrid truck uses 2MW of hydrogen fuel cells to carry 290-tonnes, designed specifically for mining conditions at Mogalakwena Mine, the world’s largest platinum mine, in the country’s Limpopo province.</p>



<p>At the launch, President Cyril Ramaphosa called it a historic event not because of the impressive piece of machinery, but for being the “genesis of an entire ecosystem powered by hydrogen”.</p>



<p>“This is a gigantic leap for South Africa’s hydrogen future economy,” said Ramaphosa.</p>



<p>Fast forward to the Festival of Motoring in Johannesburg in August this year, when BMW showcased a unique vehicle flown in from its global fleet: an iX5 Hydrogen vehicle.</p>



<p>The display drew lots of attention from visitors. Peter van Binsbergen, the head of BMW Group South Africa, said there were many discussions locally about just energy transition, and with its trial fleet of the vehicle, it would contribute to the development of the hydrogen economy.</p>



<p>“I feel that a country like South Africa, and indeed a continent like Africa, has the ideal conditions to be a leader in generating green hydrogen for industrial and automotive applications,” said van Binsbergen.</p>



<p>In partnership with the South African government and other entities, Anglo American conducted a hydrogen valley feasibility study to identify three potential hubs in the cities of Johannesburg and Durban, and in Limpopo, to integrate hydrogen into the country’s economy.</p>



<p>It is reportedly estimated that the hydrogen valley concept could add between $4 billion to $9 billion to South Africa’s Gross Domestic Product by 2050 and create between 14,000 to 30,000 direct and indirect jobs per year.</p>



<p>Meanwhile, BMW plans to bring a small fleet of iX5 Hydrogen cars to South Africa in 2024 to gauge interest with government representatives, thought leaders and potential customers.</p>



<p>The German auto maker is due to make an announcement soon regarding an agreement with two large South African multinationals to work together to use hydrogen as an energy source.</p>



<p>Speaking to FORBES AFRICA ahead of the IAA Mobility 2023 show in Munich in September, Dr Jürgen Guldner, general program manager of hydrogen technology at the BMW Group, says the future of energy is electric.</p>



<p>“Electricity produced from solar, wind, and hydropower will be the backbone of our energy system, versus today where we produce energy from coal, gas, oil, and a little bit from the sun,” says Guldner.</p>



<p>Electricity has a few issues that can be solved with hydrogen, he explains; the main one being how difficult it is to store electricity over a long period of time. “You have to use something like hydrogen as a gas for chemical component molecules instead of electrons to store energy over longer periods of time, like several months.”</p>



<p>The feedback from BMW customers is that not all are 100% happy with a battery electric vehicle; they want to be emission-free but prefer to drive like they currently do without worrying about charging, he says.</p>



<p>“Hydrogen does exactly this; a hydrogen car is an electric car – the only difference is the energy is stored as hydrogen and not as electricity in a battery.”</p>



<p>The iX5 hydrogen prototype that FORBES AFRICA had access to briefly in Munich showcased the vehicles fitted with two 700-bar tanks that contain 6kg of hydrogen in total, which can be operated in any weather condition. The eDrive’s peak power battery can supply additional power boost on top of the electric energy from the fuel cell system.</p>



<p>The iX5 is based on the current BMW X5, has a total output of 296kW and a range of 504km without refueling the tanks. It can go from 0-100km/h in under six seconds, and has a top speed of 185km/h.</p>



<p>Hydrogen powered fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) are extremely rare, with only 15,391 units sold globally in 2022, representing 0.02% of global passenger sales when compared to the 10.5 million battery electric vehicles (BEVs) sold in 2022. In Japan alone, there was a huge drop in sales, from 2,440 vehicles sold in 2021, vs. 844 in 2022.</p>



<p>These stats were shared by BloombergNEF <em>Electric Vehicle Outlook 2023</em> report, which said figures were so low that it could not make future projections: “We are not able to make a long-term outlook for passenger FCVs while sales are so low, show limited momentum and are highly concentrated in a few markets and models.”</p>



<p>There are two mass-produced hydrogen vehicles on sale today: the Toyota Mirai and the Hyundai Nexo. Upcoming FCEV models include the BMW iX5, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Staria, Kia Carnival, and Toyota GR Yaris H2.</p>



<p>While the industry is still an experimental one, there are concerns from scientists about the lack of data on hydrogen leaks and the potential harm they could cause, according to <em>Reuters</em>, which may cause a blind spot for the nascent industry. It said at least four studies concluded that hydrogen loses its environmental edge when it seeps into the atmosphere.</p>



<p>Despite this, the European Commission’s proposed REPowerEU plan aims to produce 10 million tons (MT) of renewable hydrogen and 10MT of imported renewable hydrogen by 2030, as part of achieving climate neutrality by 2050.</p>


On Location BMW iX5 Hydrogen Antwerp

Hydrogen Cars On The Horizon In Africa


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Paxlovid—Pfizer’s antiviral Covid-19 treatment—is 37% effective at preventing hospitalization or death in high-risk patients compared with no treatment, according to <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2809779" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a study</a> published Thursday in the <em>JAMA Network Open</em>, well below the 88% effectiveness rate Pfizer and regulators <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-first-oral-antiviral-treatment-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a> in clinical trials in 2021—though it remains very effective at staving off death.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>The study found that when excluding hospitalizations and looking at death alone, the drug is 84% effective.</p>



<p>The observational study analyzed electronic health records from thousands of patients at the Cleveland Clinic Health System in 2022 and early 2023 to determine Paxlovid’s effectiveness, using real-world data rather than the clinical trials that were used before.</p>



<p>The study also found another antiviral Covid-19 treatment, Merck’s Lagevrio, was 42% effective in preventing hospitalization or death and 77% effective against death alone.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-we-don-t-know">WHAT WE DON’T KNOW</h2>



<p>Why the effectiveness has fallen. The study authors noted the clinical trials were conducted among unvaccinated patients who had limited natural immunity, whereas this study was conducted in a real-world population including vaccinated and previously infected patients who had some other defenses against the coronavirus. They also noted the original clinical studies were completed when the Delta variant was the most common strain of the virus while their study was conducted when the Omicron variant was, suggesting that the drug could work differently with different strains.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-news-peg">NEWS PEG</h2>



<p>While they note the effectiveness has fallen, the study’s authors still say these drugs are useful tools in fighting Covid-19, arguing both drugs can be used in nonhospitalized Covid-19 patients to prevent the most severe outcomes.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>Paxlovid is still “definitely recommended for high-risk patients,” said University of North Carolina professor Danyu Lin, one of the study’s authors, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-21/paxlovid-study-shows-effectiveness-against-covid-has-declined?srnd=premium" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bloomberg</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Paxlovid, a course of oral pills, first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizers-paxlovidtm-receives-fda-approval-adult-patients#:~:text=PAXLOVID%20has%20been%20available%20in,remain%20consistent%20with%20the%20EUA." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">became available</a>&nbsp;in December 2021 and is to be taken early in a patient’s infection. They’re designed to prevent patients who already have Covid-19 from becoming hospitalized or dying, particularly patients who are at an elevated risk of severe Covid-19 due to age or medical conditions. New information on Paxlovid’s effectiveness comes amid fears of a new wave of Covid-19 this fall. In the week ending September 9, 20,538 people were hospitalized for Covid-19, a 7.7% increase over the week prior, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#maps_percent-covid-deaths" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>. Since the onset of the pandemic, 1.14 million people have died of the virus.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2809779" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nirmatrelvir or Molnupiravir Use and Severe Outcomes From Omicron Infections</a>&nbsp;(JAMA Network Open)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/05/25/pfizers-paxlovid-covid-pill-granted-full-fda-approval/?sh=385c6c1014ec">Pfizer’s Paxlovid Covid Pill Granted Full FDA Approval</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/04/21/who-endorses-pfizers-antiviral-pill-paxlovid-for-high-risk-covid-patients-but-says-benefits-trivial-for-low-risk-groups/?sh=14dd5ff3623b">WHO Endorses Pfizer’s Antiviral Pill Paxlovid For High-Risk Covid Patients But Says Benefits ‘Trivial’ For Low-Risk Groups</a> (Forbes)</p>


Covid Drug Paxlovid Now Less Effective Than In Early Trials—But It’s Still Great At Preventing Death


<p>A new wave of innovation is rising on the African continent, where startups are leveraging AI to address local challenges, fueling sustainable growth, and forging a path for others to follow. The AI industry on the continent is expanding rapidly, with reportedly over 2,400 companies specializing in the industry as of this year.</p>



<p>Spending on AI innovation in Africa and the Middle East is likely to see the fastest growth in AI spending in the world, hitting $3 billion this year and over $6 billion by 2026 per the International Data Corporation (IDC). This innovation is both locally and internationally-driven, with organic AI-based startups across the continent, as well as collaborative initiatives such as Google’s first AI research center in Ghana, launched in 2018.</p>



<p>In the heart of Cameroon, in the capital city of Yaoundé, resides Agrix Tech — a startup committed to aiding smallscale farmers in their battle against plant diseases and pests. These threats, exacerbated by the ongoing climate crisis, pose a critical challenge to agriculture. Agrix Tech&#8217;s innovative solution is a mobile app that empowers farmers to scan their plants&#8217; leaves. Leveraging AI, the app identifies any ailments and suggests appropriate interventions.</p>



<p>What sets Agrix Tech apart is its dedication to inclusivity. The app&#8217;s features are available regardless of location or internet connectivity — crucial for remote farmers. &#8220;The app can work offline as the AI model is embedded into the mobile app,&#8221; states founder and CEO Adamou Nchange Kouotou to FORBES AFRICA. “This allows farmers with no internet connection to still use it. The app can also be set in many local African languages.&#8221; By extending its AI library to other developers, Agrix Tech is broadening the reach of its crop and disease detection capabilities.</p>



<p>In Nairobi, Kenya, is another groundbreaking company making use of AI. Since its inception in 2012, SunCulture has made significant strides in equipping farmers with precision irrigation solutions.</p>



<p>Starting with solar-powered irrigation and pay-as-you-go financing, the company has expanded its reach from Kenya to Ethiopia, Uganda, Zambia, and the Ivory Coast, among others.</p>



<p>“It’s a viable business idea,” says SunCulture CEO Samir Ibrahim.</p>



<p>Approximately 90% of smallholding farms on the continent rely on rainfall for irrigation. As a result, the timing of planting, fertilizing, and harvesting is critically dependent on weather forecasts, which are often too broad or inaccurate. SunCulture&#8217;s solution — a trailblazing amalgamation of technologies called AgOptimized — addresses this issue head-on. The app gathers local soil and weather data, integrates it with meteorological and satellite data, and analyzes it alongside historical trends using AI. The result? Detailed, localized weather forecasts and recommendations on irrigation, fertilizing, and pest control, designed to lower costs and maximize farming yields.</p>



<p>Further south in Johannesburg is an AI startup that aims to meet their bold slogan of ‘AI for Africans, By Africans, Solving African Problems’. Lelapa has crafted an AI-based language- model-as-a-service named Vulavula.</p>



<p>Linguistic diversity is the heartbeat of Africa, and nowhere is this more evident than in South Africa, a country that proudly recognizes 12 official languages. Yet, the digital space often falls short in catering to this richness. That&#8217;s where Vulavula steps in, carving out a unique niche in the landscape of AI applications.</p>



<p>“We tackle the challenges of language diversity through very careful data creation and curation with the help of sociolinguists who understand the nuances of dialects,” says Jade Abbott, Director at Lelapa AI. “Our vision is for Vulavula to be used across education, healthcare, government. </p>



<p>Children learn maths best when taught in their home language, people die because doctors do not speak the same languages as their patients, and many people can’t participate in government because majority of the resources are available in English or Afrikaans.” </p>



<p>Vulavula harnesses the power of AI to provide real-time translation and transcription services, enabling businesses to communicate with their customers in their own language seamlessly. </p>



<p>Ubenwa, a Nigerian-owned AI startup, is making significant strides in the realm of neonatal health. Named after the Igbo term for &#8216;baby&#8217;s cry&#8217;, Ubenwa has developed an AI system that deciphers infants&#8217; cries to detect early signs of neurological issues. It specifically targets birth asphyxia — one of the leading causes of infant mortality in sub-Saharan Africa — by analyzing frequency, pitch, and other key acoustic features in a baby&#8217;s cry. This AI- powered approach provides a low-cost, non-invasive diagnostic tool for early intervention, potentially saving many young lives.</p>



<p>What sets Ubenwa apart is its commitment to accessibility. Their AI solution operates independently of internet connectivity, a pivotal feature ensuring its usability in Africa&#8217;s remote areas. Bymeeting this challenge head-on, Ubenwa exemplifies how AI can be harnessed to tackle region-specific healthcare issues, paving the way for other AI startups to make impactful strides in their domains.</p>



<p>On a broader scale, Ubenwa underscores the transformative potential of AI in healthcare, particularly in settings with limited resources. Their innovative approach is a powerful testament to the potential of AI in Africa, spotlighting the profound societal impact of locally-sourced solutions to local challenges.</p>


Close-up of businesswoman use computer while use digitization display for monitoring the data in business office.

Africa’s AI-Based Businesses And Innovations


<p><strong>The tech behemoth’s latest iPhone features a new USB-C charging port and titanium frame for its higher-end models.</strong></p>



<p>Apple has unveiled the iPhone 15, with the base models 15 and 15 Plus priced at $799 and $899 respectively, in its most anticipated product event of the year. The higher-end 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max will be priced at $999 and $1,199 respectively.</p>



<p>As usual, the iPhone 15 will come equipped with a better camera and upgraded processing power, but it will also feature a significant change: a USB-C port for charging and data transfers. Apple was forced to do away with its Lightning port in iPhones after the European Union passed a law last year that requires all mobile devices to accommodate a common&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/10/26/weve-no-choice-apple-says-iphones-will-switch-over-to-usb-c-chargers-to-comply-with-new-eu-law/?sh=786790cabcde">USB-C&nbsp;</a>charger.</p>



<p>The consumer tech giant also announced two new makes of the Apple Watch: the Apple Watch Series 9, which it said was its first carbon neutral product ever, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Sustainability was one of the central themes of the event, where Apple detailed its increased use of recycled materials like cobalt in the battery and energy efficient manufacturing and transportation practices to produce the Apple Watch Series 9. This comes ahead of the company’s goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.</p>



<p>With inconspicuous changes in design and appearance, the screen sizes for the standard iPhone 15 models are the same as before (6.1 inch and 6.7 inch), but the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max have a slightly larger display as their bezels are thinner than previous iPhones, the company announced. The Pro iPhones are built with Grade 5 titanium frames for the first time rather than stainless steel, making them the lightest Pro phones Apple has ever built.</p>



<p>Similar to its predecessor, iPhone 15 has a matte finish, but the edges of the phone are more rounded than before. The regular models are available in pink, yellow, green, blue and black while the Pro models come in black, blue and white titanium. All new phones have the “Dynamic Island,” an interface that was first added to iPhone 14 Pro that lets users see notifications in the black pill-shaped notch at the top of the display.</p>



<p>Apple touted the phone’s upgraded camera capabilities: a 48-megapixel camera sensor is replacing the 12-megapixel and lets users zoom into photos while capturing minute details and nuances. The new Pro phones come with a feature that uses machine learning to detect when a person is in the photo, enabling you to automatically switch to portrait mode even after a photo has been taken.</p>



<p>If you’re on a call using the iPhone 15 Pro, a machine learning-based feature called “voice isolation” prioritizes the speaker’s voice and drowns out background voice. The phones are also enabled with an emergency SOS service and roadside assistance while off the grid.</p>



<p>The pricier models come with a performance edge, thanks to a new A17 chip. All new iPhones are embedded with a new ultrawide-band semiconductor, a technology that uses radio waves to send and receive signals, to make location tracking on the Find My app more accurate.</p>



<p>The ring/mute slide switch, which has never changed since Apple launched the original iPhone in 2007, has been replaced in iPhone 15 Pro models with an “Action Button” that can be customized to set different functionalities like starting a voice recording, launching the camera or opening the flashlight.</p>



<p>For the Apple Watch Series 9 and a second generation of the Apple Watch Ultra , the look and design for the new watches has remained consistent, but their guts have gotten an upgrade, with 30% faster processing speed and brighter screens. The two new Apple Watches are equipped with a feature that lets users double tap their index finger and thumb to carry out actions like accepting or ending a call, and playing or pausing music with just one hand.</p>



<p>Apple’s latest product reveal comes at a crucial time for the company. Demand for smartphones is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2023-08-06/apple-iphone-15-comes-amid-us-sales-slowdown-tim-cook-q3-earnings-comments-lkzfs14u" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">slowing</a>&nbsp;down across the industry, and Apple’s iPhone sales dropped about 2% year over year in the third quarter of 2023. Core to its business, iPhones, Apple Watches and AirPods accounted for about 60% of Apple’s $394.3 billion annual revenue in 2022.</p>



<p>Although more mainstream, the new iPhone and Apple Watches aren’t the only products that Apple announced this year. In June, alongside new Macs, Apple introduced the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnpaczkowski/2023/06/07/this-is-what-its-like-to-use-apples-new-vision-pro-mixed-reality-headset/?sh=43c3323539e4">Apple Vision Pro</a> mixed-reality headset, its first major new product category since the Apple Watch made waves in 2015. The iPhone 15 lets users create photos and videos that are compatible with the Apple Vision Pro.</p>


Apple Holds Product Unveiling Event

Apple Kills Lightning In iPhone 15 And Announces Carbon Neutral Apple Watches


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Apple and Nvidia stocks tanked for the second consecutive trading session Thursday, a rare down stretch for the Silicon Valley titans this year fueled by concerns about each of their explosive sales.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Apple shares slipped 3.4% by 2:25 p.m. Eastern time after Bloomberg&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-07/china-plans-to-expand-iphone-ban-to-some-state-backed-firms-in-blow-to-apple?srnd=premium" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;China is considering banning iPhone usage among some government workers and employees at state-owned corporations, casting doubt on Apple’s strength in the country which accounts for roughly a fifth of its sales.</p>



<p>The slide comes a day after Apple shed 3.6% – its 6.9% dip since Tuesday marks the steepest two-day loss for the world’s most valuable company since November.</p>



<p>Nvidia shares also dropped about 3% Thursday, bringing its two-day loss to 5.5% as the S&amp;P 500’s best-performer of 2023 suffered a rare tumble.</p>



<p>The artificial intelligence leader’s stock slump came as a dubious conspiracy theory&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/JesseCohenInv/status/1699307464619876691" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">proliferated&nbsp;</a>on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, suggesting that Nvidia has artificially inflated revenue in its AI segment by lying about its sales to CoreWeave, a Nvidia-backed cloud computing startup&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-08-30/coreweave-said-to-seek-stake-sale-at-up-to-8-billion-valuation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reportedly</a>&nbsp;valued at about $8 billion.</p>



<p>That theory is “nonsense,” Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon wrote in a Thursday note to clients he “very grudgingly” sent out, encouraging investors to not get “your investment thesis from Twitter randos.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>$250 billion. That’s how much market capitalization Apple and Nvidia shed over the last two days.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Apple and Nvidia are two of the seven tech stocks&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2023/04/10/these-7-tech-stocks-command-almost-90-of-the-sp-500s-gains-signaling-market-rally-may-not-be-so-healthy/?sh=65e0aafc65d5">accounting for</a>&nbsp;a large majority of major stock indexes’ gains this year, leading to lingering questions about the depth of the strong market (Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and Tesla round out the super seven). Both Apple and Nvidia set all-time high share prices this year, but on far different trajectories. Apple rode a steady 42% gain this year, just ahead with the tech-heavy Nasdaq’s 32% rise, thanks to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2023/05/04/apple-beats-quarterly-profit-sales-estimates-despite-interest-rate-headwinds/?sh=77f139f03637">solid</a>&nbsp;5% and 6% earnings beats during the first and second quarters, respectively, while Nvidia more than tripled in share price due to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2023/08/23/nvidia-earnings-stock-soars-as-ai-giant-again-smashes-quarterly-expectations/">exploding</a>&nbsp;expectations about its AI business, which grew by 141% just last quarter.</p>



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<p>By signing up, you accept and agree to our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/terms-and-conditions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Terms of Service</a>&nbsp;(including the class action waiver and arbitration provisions), and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/privacy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Privacy Statement</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“The Nasdaq is sinking as one bad Apple spoils a bunch of mega-cap tech stocks,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marketpulse.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Oanda</a>&nbsp;analyst Edward Moya wrote Thursday. The index is down 2% over the last two days, steeper than the S&amp;P 500’s 1% loss.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/tosv2.html?vid=&amp;uuid=14d8c1fa-4dad-11ee-bf85-ff6800d7a7ae&amp;url=L25ld3MvYXJ0aWNsZXMvMjAyMy0wOS0wNy9jaGluYS1wbGFucy10by1leHBhbmQtaXBob25lLWJhbi10by1zb21lLXN0YXRlLWJhY2tlZC1maXJtcy1pbi1ibG93LXRvLWFwcGxlP3NybmQ9cHJlbWl1bQ==" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BLOOMBERG<strong>Bloomberg</strong></a></p>



<p><strong></strong><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2023/08/23/nvidia-earnings-stock-soars-as-ai-giant-again-smashes-quarterly-expectations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MORE FROM FORBES<strong>Nvidia Earnings: Stock Soars As AI Giant Again Smashes Quarterly Expectations</strong><small>By&nbsp;<strong>Derek Saul</strong></small></a></p>



<p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/8/23824661/coreweave-nvidia-debt-gpu-ai-chips-collateral" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">THE VERGE<strong>How to get your startup a loan with one easy computer part</strong></a></p>


Apple Ahead Of The IPhone 15 Launch

Apple And Nvidia’s Losses This Week Hit $250 Billion


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>The Food and Drug Administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-takes-action-updated-mrna-covid-19-vaccines-better-protect-against-currently-circulating" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gave its approval</a>&nbsp;for emergency use Monday to new updated Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna that are specially designed to protect against the latest dominant strain of the coronavirus, Omicron variant XBB.1.5—the latest effort of drugmakers, regulators and doctors to keep up with the virus’ ever evolving nature.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Anyone 5 or older is eligible to receive a single booster dose of the newly updated vaccines regardless of how many shots they’ve received before, as long as it’s at least 2 months since the last dose they received of any Covid-19 vaccine, the FDA announced.</p>



<p>Children between the ages of six months and four years are eligible to receive one or two doses of the new vaccines if they’ve been vaccinated against Covid-19 before, but if they’ve never received a vaccine, they’re eligible to receive three doses of the new Pfizer-BioNTech shot or two doses of Moderna, the FDA said.</p>



<p>This comes after the new XBB lineage of coronavirus, a group of new variants that emerged in late 2022, became the most common strain.</p>



<p>After the emergence of this new lineage, the FDA encouraged Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Novavax to create new vaccines specialized to defend against it.</p>



<p>These will be the first Covid-19 vaccines that aren’t free and paid for by the U.S. government, with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-business-covid-medicare-1a5d65356ebc7b5bc76524ae99deb55e" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pfizer</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/moderna-expects-price-its-covid-vaccine-about-130-us-2023-03-20/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Moderna</a>&nbsp;both estimating their shots will cost between $110 and $130 per dose, though many health insurances plans will cover it and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/bridge/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CDC’s Bridge Program</a>&nbsp;will pay for some uninsured Americans’ vaccines.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Drugmakers have released a number of new iterations after the first Covid-19 vaccines were administered in late 2020. In fall 2021, the first booster shots were authorized by the FDA and were meant to help replenish waning immunity to the virus months after people received their initial doses. Then, after a new variant of the virus called Omicron, which was more resistant to the original vaccines, sparked a vicious new wave of the pandemic, drugmakers released a modified “bivalent” booster shot in fall 2022. That vaccine was designed to protect against both the original virus as well as Omicron. This new booster will attempt to do what that bivalent booster did with Omicron, but with the new XBB strains.</p>



<p>Forbes Daily: Get our best stories, exclusive reporting and essential analysis of the day’s news in your inbox every weekday.Sign Up</p>



<p>By signing up, you accept and agree to our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/terms-and-conditions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Terms of Service</a>&nbsp;(including the class action waiver and arbitration provisions), and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/privacy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Privacy Statement</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>Now that the FDA has approved the drugs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/08/25/2023-18288/advisory-committee-on-immunization-practices" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">scheduled to meet</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday to decide whether it will recommend people receive the new booster shots, an additional standard regulatory step that each of the previous iterations of the vaccines have had to complete. People won’t be able to receive the new vaccines until the CDC gives its signoff.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-fact">SURPRISING FACT</h2>



<p>While Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna’s new vaccines were approved on Monday, the FDA still hasn’t approved Novavax’s. The company, which was a late entry into the Covid-19 vaccine market, had its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/covid-19-vaccine-comparison#:~:text=Status%3A%20The%20vaccine%20was%20authorized,it%3A%20People%2012%20and%20older." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">first vaccines approved</a>&nbsp;in July 2022. Its vaccines, unlike Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna’s do not use mRNA technology, but rather are subunit vaccines that use a piece of the virus to invigorate a body’s immune response. The company said in an email Monday its vaccines have already arrived in the U.S. and, despite not being approved alongside Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna’s, are still awaiting FDA approval. The company reiterated that its vaccines will be widely available across the country, but “timing is ultimately at the discretion of the FDA.” By 2:45 p.m. Eastern Time, Novavax’s stock price had fallen 10% to around $8 a share. Neither Pfizer nor Moderna’s stock moved significantly. Both fell less than 1.5%.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-news-peg">NEWS PEG</h2>



<p>This comes as Covid-19 hospitalizations begin to rise across the U.S. In the week ending August 27, the most recent data available, hospital admissions for Covid-19 were up 15.7%, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#maps_new-admissions-rate-county" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the CDC</a>. That’s 17,418 hospital admissions during that week, and while that is still a far cry from the peak in January 2022, when there were around 150,000 hospitalizations a week, doctors believe it signals that a new wave could be coming in the fall.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>These new vaccines follow doctors’ long held predictions that Covid-19 vaccines will likely become similar to the influenza vaccine, where a new iteration is released annually to keep up with new strains of the virus. At a September 2022 White House briefing, Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the leader of the federal government’s response to the pandemic, said: “We likely are moving towards a path with a vaccination cadence similar to that of the annual influenza vaccine, with annual updated Covid-19 shots matched to the currently circulating strains for most of the population.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/09/01/its-ok-to-get-your-covid-flu-and-rsv-shots-at-the-same-time-experts-say/?sh=7a857a4c3099">It’s Okay To Get Your Covid, Flu And RSV Shots At The Same Time, Experts Say</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/09/06/modernas-updated-covid-vaccine-is-effective-against-pirola-variant-as-concern-over-new-strain-grows/?sh=18b82c3a1a06">Moderna’s Updated Covid Vaccine Is Effective Against Pirola Variant—As Concern Over New Strain Grows</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/09/06/fda-may-approve-new-covid-boosters-by-friday-as-deaths-spike-report-says/?sh=5bc3a51b54f2">FDA May Approve New Covid Boosters By Friday As Deaths Spike, Report Says</a> (Forbes)<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/willskipworth/"></a></p>


Injection of the third dose of the covid 19 vaccine at a Covid-19 vaccination center in Dinan, Brittany

FDA Approves New Covid Vaccines To Target Latest Strains


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>The death toll from extreme flooding in Libya over the weekend is estimated to be at least 250 by the Red Crescent of Benghazi, though one of the country’s officials said thousands could be dead from the catastrophic storm,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/11/storm-and-floods-kill-at-least-150-people-in-libya-says-red-crescent.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/derna-disaster-zone-libya-storm-daniel-floods-8fac4fe35b962242568ff219456c6870" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;say</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>The Red Crescent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/powerful-storm-rolls-through-eastern-libya-killing-least-three-2023-09-11/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;Reuters on Monday morning that the flooding caused by Mediterranean storm Daniel killed a confirmed 150 people in Derna, a coastal city in eastern Libya, over the weekend, but the organization expects the death toll to increase to 250.</p>



<p>Ossama Hamad, prime minister of the parliament-supported government in Libya, said in a phone interview with a local television station on Monday that he fears 2,000 are dead in Derna, the city hit the hardest by the floods, and thousands more are missing, the Associated Press&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/derna-disaster-zone-libya-storm-daniel-floods-8fac4fe35b962242568ff219456c6870" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>.</p>



<p>Water levels in Derna, which was declared a disaster zone, reached as high as 10 feet over the weekend, and the storm also hit the Libyan cities of Benghazi, Susa, Bayda and al-Marj.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Last week, the storm hit parts of Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria, killing at least 15—with two still missing—and causing the “most intense rain storm” in almost a century, Reuters&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/three-more-bodies-found-after-greece-storm-raising-toll-14-2023-09-10/#:~:text=ATHENS%2C%20Sept%2010%20(Reuters),since%20records%20began%20in%201930." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>. More than 4,250 people were evacuated from Greece as of early Monday, authorities said, due to rivers overflowing and damaging villages beyond the aftermath of the storm. On Sunday, Bloomberg&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-10/greek-premier-to-request-eu-support-for-country-s-flood-damage?utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&amp;cmpid=socialflow-twitter-business&amp;utm_content=business&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;that Greece&#8217;s prime minister will meet with the head of the European Commission on Tuesday to ask for support from the EU.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/derna-disaster-zone-libya-storm-daniel-floods-8fac4fe35b962242568ff219456c6870" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AP NEWS<strong>Libyan prime minister says 2,000 people believed dead in flooding in eastern Libya following storm</strong></a><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/powerful-storm-rolls-through-eastern-libya-killing-least-three-2023-09-11/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">REUTERS<strong>Storm and floods kill at least 150 people in Libya-Red Crescent</strong></a></p>


Death toll in Derna city tops 2,000 after floods hit eastern Libya

Hundreds Dead In Libya After Devastating Floods, But Official Warns It Could Be Thousands


<p>South Africa&#8217;s government has concluded its exhaustive investigation into the Lady R incident, an episode that sent shockwaves through the nation and sparked international scrutiny. The final report, released recently, sheds light on the events surrounding the mysterious docking of the Russian cargo ship Lady R in Simon&#8217;s Town last year, and the subsequent economic and diplomatic fallout. <strong></strong></p>



<p>In December 2022, the Lady R unexpectedly docked at the South African Naval Base in Simon&#8217;s Town. The controversy was brought on in part by the ship&#8217;s abrupt shutdown of its marine tracking system, rendering its presence shrouded in secrecy. The vessel was loaded and unloaded under armed guard, with its arrival and departure leaving both South Africa and the international community baffled as to the purpose and cargo of the vessel.</p>



<p>Speculation ran rife, with many questioning whether South Africa was clandestinely supporting Russia&#8217;s invasion of Ukraine. It took two weeks and persistent queries before Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thandi Modise clarified that the Lady R was, in fact, offloading an old, longstanding order for ammunition. Six shipping containers were reportedly loaded onto the ship before it left, providing some clarity but leaving lingering questions about the nature of the cargo.</p>



<p>In May, United States’ (US) Ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety made the claim that the vessel was indeed loading weapons and ammunition, stating that he would “bet his life” that this was the case.</p>



<p>The timing of the Lady R&#8217;s arrival was particularly sensitive, given the heightened tensions between Russia and the West over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. South Africa, despite its policy of supporting a rules-based international order, had refrained from criticizing Russia&#8217;s actions, raising eyebrows in Western diplomatic circles.</p>



<p>The Lady R incident had profound economic and diplomatic consequences for South Africa. President Cyril Ramaphosa, when announcing the findings of the investigative panel this week, highlighted the damage done, stating: &#8220;The allegations leveled against our country had a damaging effect on our currency, economy, and our standing in the world.&#8221;</p>



<p>After months of rigorous investigation, the independent panel, chaired by Judge PMD Mojapelo, has concluded its work. The investigation confirmed that the Lady R carried equipment destined for the South African National Defence Force, but that despite the Lady R being under US sanctions, these sanctions were not endorsed by the United Nations and were thus not binding on South Africa. Additionally, no South African entity had a say in the choosing of the Lady R as the delivery vessel, and the goods were offloaded at night due to their classified nature and the security risk posed by daylight exposure. The investigation found no evidence to substantiate claims that weapons were loaded onto the Lady R, confirming only the offloading of equipment.</p>



<p>In response to the investigation&#8217;s conclusion, David Feldmann, Mission Spokesperson at the US Embassy in Pretoria, expressed appreciation for the seriousness with which the inquiry was conducted in a press statement. He reiterated the US&#8217;s commitment to advancing progress in various shared priorities with South Africa, including trade, health, and climate. Brigety, as President Joe Biden&#8217;s personal representative in South Africa, retained the confidence of the US leadership and remained focused on strengthening bilateral relations.</p>



<p>The Lady R incident appears to have come to a close with the release of the investigative panel&#8217;s findings. While the economic and diplomatic repercussions were significant, the report has provided clarity on the nature of the cargo and the circumstances surrounding the ship&#8217;s docking, and the US and South Africa have both expressed a willingness to move past the incident.</p>


Russian Registered Cargo Ship Lady R Anchored At Simons Town Naval Base

South Africa Concludes Investigation Into Mysterious Russian Ship Lady R


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>With a potential winter and fall surge of the flu, Covid and RSV, some experts recommend getting all three shots at the same time, while limited research shows doing so might cause rare side effects.=</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>It’s “acceptable” to get the new respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine co-administered with other vaccines, including the flu and Covid vaccines,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-2023-06-21-23/07-RSV-Adults-Britton-508.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</p>



<p>For the first time, two RSV vaccines have been greenlit by the FDA to protect&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/05/03/fda-approves-first-ever-rsv-vaccine-after-brutal-2022-season/?sh=3dd0ac5910b2">older Americans</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/08/21/fda-approves-first-rsv-vaccine-for-kids-given-to-pregnant-moms-heres-what-to-know/?sh=75ffd2ab813e">infants</a>&nbsp;against the virus, which are expected to be available this fall, and the agency also approved an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/08/03/first-rsv-vaccine-for-infants-approved-by-cdc-and-fda-other-top-vaccines-and-their-effectiveness/?sh=7a5031872040">antibody shot</a>&nbsp;for infants and toddlers in August.</p>



<p>New monovalent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/08/21/new-covid-boosters-expected-this-fall-why-some-doctors-suggest-holding-off-on-getting-your-next-booster-until-then/?sh=18f37e73438b">Covid boosters</a>&nbsp;to protect against variants of the dominant XBB lineage are being developed by Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax at the request of a Food and Drug Administration panel and also are predicted to be available this fall.</p>



<p>As the fall and winter seasons approach, there are concerns another respiratory virus “tripledemic”—caused by a simultaneous rise in flu, Covid and RSV cases, causing hospitals to become overwhelmed—may happen again this year.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crucial-quote">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>It’s “more probable that we&#8217;ll have a high viral season” this year with people getting Covid, the flu and RSV around the same time, so getting vaccinated is an important preventative step, Sharon Nachman, the chief of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, told&nbsp;<em>Forbes.</em></p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p><a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Covid</a>&nbsp;hospitalizations in recent weeks ticked up, increasing by almost 19% between August 13 and August 19, while deaths increased almost 18% between July 8 and August 26, as EG.5, or the Eris variant, made up the majority of cases. Though national&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/surveillance/nrevss/images/trend_images/RSV14Num_Nat.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RSV cases</a>&nbsp;have increased slightly since June—they went from 149 cases in the week of June 17 to 423 cases the week of August 26—cases were over four times higher around this time last year.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Flu cases</a>&nbsp;aren’t witnessing a spike just yet, as flu season is expected to begin in October, but updated vaccines are available for the upcoming season.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>50,000. That’s how many people in the U.S. died from Covid infection between November 2022 and March 2023,&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#maps_deaths-total" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the CDC. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/preliminary-in-season-estimates.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">flu</a>&nbsp;accounted for around 58,000 deaths during last year’s tripledemic and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/research/rsv-net/dashboard.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RSV</a>&nbsp;killed 10,000 people—mostly seniors—and caused twice as many hospitalizations than in prepandemic years.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>A good number of patients last year were admitted into Nachman’s hospital with “more than one virus” at a time. So, she recommends those who are eligible to first get their doctors’ approval and then get all three shots in preparation for the upcoming seasons. Other than approving the co-administration of the RSV shot with other vaccines, the CDC also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/coadministration.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">endorses</a>&nbsp;co-administration of the Covid and flu vaccines. Nachman said there’s a “better immune response” when more than one vaccine is administered at the same time. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X22015687" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>&nbsp;published in&nbsp;<em>Elsevier&nbsp;</em>found dual vaccination of Covid and the flu saw a reduced risk of infection than in unvaccinated people.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-contra">CONTRA</h2>



<p>Epidemiologist Richard Reithinger told&nbsp;<em>Forbes</em>, “People are a little bit more cautious” about getting the RSV vaccines at the same time as the other two because they were only recently approved by the FDA this year. There is limited evidence on whether the new RSV vaccines negatively interact with the Covid and flu vaccines. However, there were rare instances in a clinical trial where people developed severe side effects after getting the RSV and flu shots at the same time. Two 71-year-old participants developed acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (<a href="https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/acute-disseminated-encephalomyelitis#:~:text=Acute%20disseminated%20encephalomyelitis%20(ADEM)%20is,helps%20with%20electrical%20nerve%20signaling." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ADEM</a>), a neurological disorder that causes widespread swelling in the brain and spinal cord that damages the nerves’ protective coating, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/pdfs/mm7229a4-H.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a>&nbsp;by a CDC advisory committee. One of these instances resulted in death. However, researchers aren’t sure if these cases were a result of the vaccines being administered together, or just a coincidence. The study also found that RSV and flu antibodies were slightly lower when administered together, though the “clinical significance is unknown.” If people are unsure about getting all three vaccines at once, it’s okay to “just take the flu vaccine [right now] and then wait for the Covid-19 and RSV” vaccines to be released later this year, according to Reithinger. Although he believes getting all three vaccines at the same time is safe, he ultimately recommends people consult with their doctors on timing.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/08/21/new-covid-boosters-expected-this-fall-why-some-doctors-suggest-holding-off-on-getting-your-next-booster-until-then/?sh=18f37e73438b">New Covid Boosters Expected This Fall: Why Some Doctors Suggest Holding Off On Getting Your Next Booster Until Then</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2022/12/20/heres-why-there-is-a-shortage-for-childrens-tylenol-advill-and-motrin-and-what-to-do-about-it/?sh=3a6e33ce28f4">Here’s Why There Is A Shortage For Children&#8217;s Tylenol, Advil And Motrin—And What To Do About It</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/05/03/fda-approves-first-ever-rsv-vaccine-after-brutal-2022-season/?sh=3dd0ac5910b2">FDA Approves First-Ever RSV Vaccine After Brutal 2022 Season</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/08/21/fda-approves-first-rsv-vaccine-for-kids-given-to-pregnant-moms-heres-what-to-know/?sh=75ffd2ab813e">FDA Approves First RSV Vaccine For Kids—Given To Pregnant Moms—Here’s What To Know</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/08/03/first-rsv-vaccine-for-infants-approved-by-cdc-and-fda-other-top-vaccines-and-their-effectiveness/?sh=7a5031872040">First RSV Shot For Infants Approved By CDC And FDA: Other Top Shots And Their Effectiveness</a> (Forbes)</p>


It’s Okay To Get Your Covid, Flu And RSV Shots At The Same Time, Experts Say


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Officials in New York City this week&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-12471305/NYC-Health-Department-tells-New-Yorkers-MASKING-Labor-Day-good-idea-new-Covid-variants-drive-infection-rates.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reportedly</a>&nbsp;urged residents to wear masks in public as a new strain of Covid-19 continues to spread throughout the country, while some hospitals and schools have also reimplemented mask mandates, though medical experts say masking requirements might not last long, and might not be necessary for the entire population.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan this week warned the virulent Ba.2.86 variant is “likely to evade immunity that has developed from vaccination or prior infection,” while a city health official told the Daily Mail it would be a “good idea” to mask up in crowded indoor places over the holiday weekend.</p>



<p>In Atlanta, Morris Brown College—a historically Black university—implemented a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/morris-brown-college-implements-two-week-covid-19-mask-mandate-as-cases-climb" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">two-week mask mandate</a>&nbsp;for all students and faculty last week as students move back on campus, also re-imposing social distancing amid “reports of positive cases among students.”</p>



<p>California-based healthcare facility Kaiser Permanente&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/kaiser-permanente-reinstates-covid-19-mask-mandate-amid-spike-in-cases-but/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reinstated</a>&nbsp;its mask mandate at its facilities in Santa Rosa, California last week “amid an uptick in patients testing positive,” while in New York, a group of hospitals also imposed mask mandates,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fox4news.com/news/citing-rising-covid-cases-these-us-hospital-systems-have-now-reinstated-mask-mandates" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">including</a>&nbsp;United Health Services, Auburn Community Hospital and University Hospital in Syracuse, New York.</p>



<p>In Santa Monica, California, Hollywood studio<strong>&nbsp;</strong>Lionsgate<strong>&nbsp;</strong>also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hollywood-studio-covid-rates-mask-mandates-back-1235571466/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">requested</a>&nbsp;employees wear masks in certain parts of its facilities in response to a rise in cases last month.</p>



<p>A mask mandate is also in effect in&nbsp;<a href="https://sf.gov/information/know-when-masks-are-needed#:~:text=There%20are%20no%20longer%20masking,or%20people%20living%20in%20jails." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">San Francisco</a>&nbsp;for healthcare workers when around patients, as well as for employees at jails.</p>



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<p>By signing up, you accept and agree to our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/terms-and-conditions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Terms of Service</a>&nbsp;(including the class action waiver and arbitration provisions), and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/privacy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Privacy Statement</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-contra">CONTRA</h2>



<p>Officials have been torn on mask mandate policies since the start of the pandemic, while studies have found mandates might not be a guaranteed safeguard from community-wide spread. George Washington University Dr. Leana Wen told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/31/health/labor-day-coronavirus-increase-wellness/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CNN</a>&nbsp;this week the decision to mask up also depends on an array of factors, including a person’s age and whether they’re at high risk of contracting the virus—she also said children in schools who are at low risk should not be required to mask up. When asked about Labor Day weekend precautions, Wen added people who didn’t cancel their plans last year probably don’t need to cancel them either, despite cases being on the rise.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>Vaccine boosters from drugmakers Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/08/21/new-covid-boosters-expected-this-fall-why-some-doctors-suggest-holding-off-on-getting-your-next-booster-until-then/?sh=6d037a70438b">expected</a>&nbsp;to be ready for use later this month and widely available in October, though they are still pending Food and Drug Administration approval. Those boosters, unlike their predecessors, target newer coronavirus strains, including the Eris strain and other XBB subvariants, adding to Americans’ arsenal to combat Covid, though only 17% of Americans have received the current bivalent booster shot,&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-people-booster-percent-pop5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according to</a>&nbsp;the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>15,067. That’s the number of Covid hospitalizations in the U.S. over the week ending August 19, an increase of 18.8% from the week before, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#maps_new-admissions-rate-county" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CDC data</a>. More than 6.27 million people in the U.S. have been hospitalized since the outbreak of the pandemic more than three years ago.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chief-critic">CHIEF CRITIC</h2>



<p>Despite the rise in cases, Republican lawmakers have slammed Covid mask mandates, with Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R)&nbsp;<a href="https://mailchi.mp/5dd152f9c1de/governor-tate-reeves-mask-mandates?e=ae3824fee2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">swearing off</a>&nbsp;potential mask orders, saying, “MIssissippians will not and should not submit to fear again.” In a&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/110979968873429026" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">video</a>&nbsp;posted on his social media platform Truth Social, former President Donald Trump argued mask mandates amounts to “fear mongering,” calling lawmakers “Covid tyrants,” and vowing: “We will not shut down our schools, we will not accept your lockdowns, we will not abide by your mask mandates and we will not tolerate your vaccine mandate.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/08/21/new-covid-boosters-expected-this-fall-why-some-doctors-suggest-holding-off-on-getting-your-next-booster-until-then/?sh=6d037a70438b">New Covid Boosters Expected This Fall: Why Some Doctors Suggest Holding Off On Getting Your Next Booster Until Then</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamhaseltine/2023/08/25/wastewater-analysis-update-on-ba286-in-the-united-states-its-here-be-careful/?sh=6ab2e5353cc0">Wastewater Analysis Update On BA.2.86 In The United States: It’s Here, Be Careful</a> (Forbes)</p>


Business owner setting up face mask required sign in cafe window

Will Covid Mask Mandates Return? Here’s Where They’re Making A Comeback


<p class="has-drop-cap">According to <em>MedicineNet</em>, at least 10% of the world’s population is affected by chronic pain. Eight out of those 10 patients are affected by depression, and lower back pain is the most common chronic condition, globally. It’s no wonder that pain clinics are popping up everywhere, some of them being called ‘pill mills’, one-stop shops for the medicine that specialists are becoming cautious of prescribing.</p>



<p>“Are they really clinics? My answer is no,” says Dr Marnin Romm, a specialist interdisciplinary pain management clinician and assistant and associate professor based in Boston, United States (US), but born in South Africa.</p>



<p>“A true pain clinic, by definition, is interdisciplinary.”</p>



<p>For Romm, one of the biggest problems with pain management is the commercial side of the business. “It’s ludicrous. Where’s the sustainability of the practitioner?” he asks. “Pain is more complex than just cracking your back, or going to a physiotherapist and feeling okay for a day or two until the pain comes back with a vengeance and you have to go back. That tells me you’re not managing the patient properly, you’re not doing the right treatment and if you keep doing the same thing day in and day out, where’s the ethics?”</p>



<p>Based on his training, clinical experience and work as an academic, Romm believes that pain management is about self-management.</p>



<p>His goal is to help his patients, many of whom have gone down the Dr Google rabbit hole, to stop relying on healthcare providers – including himself.</p>



<p>“It’s for the greater purpose of the good of the patient,” he explains. “I’m not here to fix them. I’m here to guide and navigate in terms of their self-management to different modalities, different tools, and a mixture of different tools, a mix of pharmacology.”</p>



<p>According to Romm, there has been a shift in terms of understanding the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying chronic pain. Instead of understanding the pathophysiology underlying chronic pain, healthcare providers use pharmacological agents and invasive interventions.</p>



<div class="wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:33% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="681" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Dr-Marnin-Romm-681x1024.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-59398 size-full" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Dr-Marnin-Romm-681x1024.jpeg 681w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Dr-Marnin-Romm-200x300.jpeg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Dr-Marnin-Romm-768x1154.jpeg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Dr-Marnin-Romm-1022x1536.jpeg 1022w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Dr-Marnin-Romm-1363x2048.jpeg 1363w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Dr-Marnin-Romm-scaled.jpeg 1703w" sizes="(max-width: 681px) 100vw, 681px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">
<p>“IN MEDICAL SCHOOL, THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF TIME SPENT TRAINING DOCTORS OR PHYSIOTHERAPISTS (OR ANYONE INVOLVED IN PAIN) OVER THE SPAN OF SEVEN YEARS IS FOUR HOURS… FOUR HOURS. FOR A PANDEMIC. SO, YOU’RE SAYING YOU CAN LEARN EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PAIN MECHANISM IN FOUR HOURS? THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE.”</p>
<cite><strong>—Dr Marnin Romm</strong></cite></blockquote>
</div></div>



<p>“And it’s not their fault. The reason for this is that in medical school, the average amount of time spent training doctors or physiotherapists (or anyone involved in pain) over the span of seven years is four hours,” he says. “Four hours. For a pandemic. So, you’re saying you can learn everything you need to know about pain mechanism in four hours? That’s impossible.”</p>



<p>Romm, who spent two years in London doing a master’s degree in pain neuroscience, says that the reason healthcare practitioners find it difficult to treat chronic pain is because they’re unable to identify what mechanisms are at play.</p>



<p>“In my assessments, I find out what is going on in the body and then target those mechanisms. Whether the treatment is pharmacological, more invasive, or psychological to reduce stress and anxiety or even exercise-based, but one of the biggest problems in pain management now is that’s still not the case,” adds Romm.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center" id="h-making-money-off-pain">MAKING MONEY OFF PAIN</h4>



<p>There’s no question that opioids are both oversupplied and overprescribed in high-income countries. Patrick Radden Keefe’s 2021 exposé about Purdue Pharma and the opioid epidemic, <em>Empire of Pain</em>, pinpointed the Sackler family’s marketing strategy to generate billions of dollars – which resulted in millions of addicts.</p>



<p>In sub-Saharan Africa, there has been a sharp increase in treatment admission trends for opioids and opioid-related disorders. A <em>BBC </em>investigative documentary called <em>Sweet Sweet Codeine </em>uncovered corruption at major pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria with staff running drug syndicates to meet the high demands of the black market. A few years after banning cough syrup containing codeine, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) reportedly shut down three pharmaceutical firms. Whether used to combat pain or recreationally, the United Nations (UN) put in a report that west, north and central Africa jointly account for 87% of all pharmaceutical opiates seized globally.</p>



<p>Another problem sub-Saharan Africa faces is the use of fake or substandard medications. Drugs are big business which means counterfeits and poorly-made medication benefits the pharmaceutical company that doesn’t know these products are infiltrating their supply chain and the street vendors who knowingly peddle these drugs.</p>



<p>A report from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime showed that 267,000 deaths in Sahel countries (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and the Niger) were linked to fake or below-par antimalarial medication. Just under 170,000 deaths have been linked to falsified antibiotics used to treat severe pneumonia in children. Sahel countries rely on imports of medical products due to their own pharmaceutical industries being in the earlier stages of development.</p>



<p>It is believed the counterfeit drugs are imported from pharmaceutical exporters (like Belgium, France, China and India), and diverted from the legal supply chain, or manufactured in neighboring countries.</p>



<p>An alternative to opioids is cannabidiol, or CBD. Different to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which also comes from cannabis plants, CBD is non-intoxicating in its pure form. While regulations around the world differ due to the insufficiency of solid evidence to establish its benefit versus the risks, there are many countries that have approved its use for pain. A <em>Forbes </em>Health survey found that 60% of the adults who use CBD in America do so for its pain relief effects. When it comes to cancer pain, Canada has given the thumbs up for CBD and so has the UK to treat the pain that comes with multiple sclerosis stiffness and spasms. In Lesotho, marijuana has become a cash crop as the small landlocked country grows and exports medical cannabis to Europe. In South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address, he said that the legal hemp and cannabis sector has the potential to create over 130,000 new jobs in the country – the pharmaceutical market has been estimated at over R100 billion ($53 million) a year. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center" id="h-brain-training-and-tech-to-track-and-treat-pain">BRAIN TRAINING AND TECH TO TRACK AND TREAT PAIN</h3>



<p>There’s more to the business of pain management than drugs, pharmaceuticals and otherwise. Exciting technology such as AI tools to monitor and track pain with big data to non-invasive devices that stimulate nerve fibers are being researched. Telemedicine has also become a big part of chronic pain care as some patients cannot travel to see specialists but still need to consult a doctor.</p>



<p>Another type of technology that’s up-and-coming in the pain space is virtual reality (VR) distraction therapy for pain relief. Dr David Binder, the director of innovation at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, US, has been studying VR for a number of years. He explains that stimuli can distract the brain from receiving pain signals. In a paper for <em>Harvard Health Publishing</em>, he writes: “We already take advantage of this wiring all the time. For example, if you hit your elbow by accident, and it hurts, you rub the elbow and it feels better. You’re tricking the brain by producing the sensory reaction of touching the elbow, which cancels some pain signals.”</p>



<p>Dr Todd Maddox is part of AppliedVR, a company in Texas in the US that makes prescription VR-based therapeutics for chronic pain management. “One of the ways people learn to deal with chronic pain is with breathing mechanisms – this deals with a part of the brain that learns behavior and the goal is to engage those centers in the brain,” he explains.</p>



<p>Maddox explains chronic pain (and where technology fits in) as something that gets worse over time because the brain gets you into a habit that you cannot break out of. Chronic pain is not only about issues with the tissues as muscles, as one example, usually heal within six to 12 weeks, it’s how your brain processes information.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/AppliedVR-1024x576.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-59396" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/AppliedVR-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/AppliedVR-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/AppliedVR-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/AppliedVR-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/AppliedVR-2048x1152.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><strong>AppliedVR makes prescription VR-based therapeutics for chronic pain management</strong></figcaption></figure></div>


<p>“So much of how we approach chronic pain is cognitive… but the behavior centers in the brain don’t listen to the cognitive centers very well,” says Maddox. This is why talking to someone and telling them what to do with chronic pain doesn’t always work – someone may do the exercises recommended by a physiotherapist but they also might not.</p>



<p>“Here’s what VR does: it broadly engages the brain. It engages your sensory and perception centers – the parts of the brain that say you’re there. It engages cognitive centers, emotional centers, you get motivated, excited and are poised for behavior change…” The research behind this non-pharmacologic form of chronic relief is exciting but it’s something that depends on good content which costs money to create. There’s also the fact that at this point, VR for pain isn’t covered by insurance unless you’re in a nursing home in America and on a CareWell plan. The alternative to what a company like AppliedVR offers is a patient buying their own VR headset and downloading a meditation app like TRIPP which combines tried- and-tested relaxation techniques with binaural audio – it just won’t be supervised by a specialist and the content won’t be specifically designed around pain relief.</p>



<p>Smartphones have given rise to numerous apps to track pain and others that take a more multidisciplinary approach, pairing users with a health coach who can create customized care plans. </p>



<p>One piece of wearable tech that is making the rounds on social media is Healy, an expensive, palm-sized device which delivers mild electrical currents to the wearer. Robyn Gilbert, a mom of two, discovered Healy from a friend. “I have pain from an autoimmune condition and Healy can mitigate it almost completely,” she says. “It has also improved my sleep, my overall energy levels, and my general sense of emotional wellbeing.” While Gilbert doesn’t feel the current – in fact, it is recommended to keep the stimulation levels low so the user doesn’t feel it – she says she felt a mental shift straight away. “People experience profound changes in many different ways, from the cessation of pain to an overall sense of wellbeing on an emotional and mental level,” she adds. Healy was invented by Marcus Schmieke, founder of the Existential Consciousness Research Institute. It isn’t approved by the FDA but that hasn’t stopped over 300,000 people from buying a device.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center">‘IT’S ALL IN YOUR… GUT?’</h3>



<p>Chronic pain may be common but it’s complex and the idea that it’s all ‘in your head’ is something not every doctor agrees on.</p>



<p>Dr Sarette Zecharia is a clinical psychologist who works with alternative forms of pain management, including traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, and is on the board of the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology. “Medication is a quick fix but the issue is that it’s foreign to the body and you end up taking more medication to cover up the side effects,” she says. “What I recently heard is that for each decade you’re in, you have to be on two medications and if </p>



<p>you’re not, it’s mind-boggling. It’s no longer normal to not be on medication.”</p>



<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="20" height="20" src="">Zecharia has seen incredible (and less expensive) results with her pain patients by simply managing diet, using food as fuel. “In modern science, it’s very easy to find the one thing that’s the cause of everything – and medicate. Pain is in every single system, the energetic system, the physical system, the mental system, the emotional system, the spiritual system, and it has to be dealt with on all of those levels,” she adds.</p>



<p>New research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has shown that there is a connection between the gut and chronic pain because the bacteria living</p>



<p>in our gut can influence some neurological diseases – when the microbiome is disrupted, the communication between the gut and brain is disrupted. There is also research in the <em>Nature </em>science journal which validates that an out-of-balance microbiome can lead to chronic inflammatory disease. “If you think about all these psychotropic medications that people are given, it disrupts the gut and the gut is where you make the majority of your neurotransmitters. That’s where your mood comes from and that’s why food is so important,” she adds.</p>



<p>“Food is not important to people whose mood is regulated, but the moment your mood isn’t regulated, you start to realize the importance of food.”</p>



<p>The connection between pain, food and diet culture is complicated and can be attributed to various factors, including societal pressure, media influence and individual experiences. Living a ‘healthy lifestyle’ comes at a cost and the diet industry globally is worth billions ($282.53 billion by 2028 per <em>GlobeNewswire</em>), profiting off those who struggle with their relationship with food and body image.</p>



<p>While Zecharia does believe food is fuel and has seen regenerative diets work for those in pain, she says making money off pain is easy because you can charge people a fortune and “keep giving them stuff that’s just knocking them more off their center line”.</p>



<p>Where does the spend stop and relief begin? For those dealing with pain, chronic or acute, finding a quick fix can take a dark turn but as the field expands and researchers across different disciplines collaborate, there is hope. Says Zecharia: “I’m not saying don’t take psychotropic medication if you need it. The problem is when someone gets medication from a healthcare provider who doesn’t really know what they have. And if it doesn’t work, you keep upping the dosage, messing up your gut biome…”</p>


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