World Coronavirus Dispatch: How virus-laden aerosols flow inside a car

IMF chief urges green investment in post-virus recovery, Second wave surges across Africa, Japan's suicide rate up 16% in second wave and other pandemic-related news across the globe

How virus-laden aerosols flow inside a car

Since the pandemic began, officials and scientists around the world have been looking out for super-spreader events, where there is a large gathering of crowds, to check the spread of the coronavirus. Over time researchers have also mapped how virus travels in places like restaurants, gyms and other indoor places. But no one was quite sure what happens inside a car. A new study done by researchers at Brown university has used computer simulations to map how virus-laden airborne particles might flow through the inside of a car. The study comes to a conclusion that Opening certain windows of a car can keep both who are travelling and drivers safe from the disease. When all the windows were closed, 8 to 10 per cent of aerosols released by one of the car occupants, typically, the guy sitting at the front, were bound to reach the other person sitting at the back. On the other hand, when all the windows were open, only 0.2 to 2 per cent of air particles travelled to the back seat. Read here

Let's look at the global statistics

Global infections: 94,501,892

Change Over Yesterday: 521,329

Global deaths: 2,022,279

Nations with most cases: US (23,758,857), India (10,557,985), Brazil (8,455,059), Russia (3,507,201), United Kingdom (3,367,070).

Source: John Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center.

Japan's suicide rate up 16 per cent in second wave

After a decline in the suicide rate during the February-June period, aided by government support through handouts and subsidies, reduced working hours and school closures, a survey has found that the rate has shot up as much as 16 per cent during the July-October period in Japan, and has unsurprisingly coincided with the second wave of the coronavirus. Women bore the brunt, as the suicide rate among them was five times higher than for men as the prolonged pandemic hurt industries where women predominate. Read here

IMF chief urges green investment in post-virus recovery

Government spending in response to the coronavirus pandemic must be focused in green areas like climate action for a sustainable recovery International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said. She said the outlook for 2021 not as bad as expected, possibly due to the aggresive fiscal and monetary measures by the developed economies. Alongside the brighter economic picture, Georgieva also warned of "scarring" and widening global disparities due the current crisis, adding that the recovery measures should be inclusive, tackling inequalities. Read here

Second wave surges across Africa

A growing second wave of coronavirus is threatening to overwhelm fragile healthcare systems across Africa after months of relatively mild impact across the continent, officials have warned. Authorities in Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as international organisations, say hospital capacity and oxygen supplies are running out as the continent-wide death rate this month surpassed the global average for the first time. Read here

Rollout of China’s Sinovac vaccine in Hong Kong under threat

Fearing a backlash from the public, Hong Kong has decided to postpone the distribution of Sinovac vaccine made by a Chinese drugmaker. China is aggressive pushing its vaccine diplomacy by promising vaccines to developing nations that can't make the shots on their own or don't have the money to buy them, but the lack of transparency on trial data has clouded the diplomacy. Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam hoped Sinovac will be approved this month and distributed across the territory, but that seems unlikely to happen. Read here