World Coronavirus Dispatch: Researchers working on inhaled vaccines

European leaders impose targeted curbs, Jakarta eases social distancing norms, why jokes at work make more sense than ever, and other pandemic-related news across the globe

Inhaled Vaccines: The Covid-19 vaccines closest to the finish line are designed to be injected into the arm. Researchers are now looking at whether they can get better protection from inoculations that fight the virus at its point of attack — the nose and mouth.
 

Most vaccines in human testing require two shots for effectiveness, and developers still aren’t even sure if they’ll prevent infections. Scientists are hoping to generate superior immune responses with inhaled vaccines that directly target the airway cells the virus invades. An alternative to conventional jabs, sprayed and inhaled immunizations under development in the US, Britain and Hong Kong could play an important role going forward. 

Read more here 

Let’s look at the global statistics:

Total Confirmed Cases: 37,213,592

Change Over Yesterday: 329,824

Total Deaths: 1,072,959

Total Recovered: 25,883,454

Nations hit with most cases: US (7,718,947), India (7,053,806), Brazil (5,082,637), Russia (1,278,245) and Colombia (902,747)

Source: Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center 

US curve points up and France’s cases hit record: France reported record new Covid-19 cases for the second day in a row, adding almost 27,000 infections. US cases increased by 57,459, the most in more than two weeks. Read more here

European leaders impose targeted restrictions in virus surge: European leaders are focusing new curbs on individual towns and regions while resisting nationwide shutdowns for fear of heaping yet more pain on their battered economies. Covid-19 infections continue to accelerate across Europe with countries including Russia, Hungary and the Czech Republic reporting record cases on Saturday. Read more here 

Berlin rent freeze has cut prices: It’s been nearly eight months since Berlin introduced a five-year rent freeze and restrictions forcing landlords to reduce prices by as much as 40 percent. While some people are paying less, it’s harder to find a new rental—and some prospective tenants are being asked to sign shady side contracts. Read more here 

Jakarta eases social distancing curbs as virus cases stabilize: Indonesia’s capital will ease strict social-distancing curbs starting Monday. Jakarta had brought back the stronger restrictions last month, as its health system was becoming overwhelmed. People can return to offices and dine-in restaurants as long as the capacity is limited to 50 percent. Read more here 

Specials 

Why jokes at work make more sense than ever
 

Data from 166 countries shows that from around the time we enter the workforce, we suffer a stunning loss of humour that we do not start to regain until we retire. The number of times we laugh or smile each day starts to plummet around the time we hit 23. Apparently the average 40-year-old takes 10 weeks to laugh as much as a four-year-old does in a single day (up to 300 times). Yet a sense of humour is of far more use to the 40-year-old. A jolting 98 per cent of executive leaders prefer employees who can laugh, surveys show, and 84 per cent think those with a sense of humour do better work. Read more here 

Interactive
 

The Covid Bankruptcies: New York Sports Clubs to It’Sugar
 

Retailers, airlines, restaurants. But also oil producers, a hotel near Disneyland, and a chain of boutique cycling studios. These are some of the more than 250 companies that declared bankruptcy in the U.S. this year and blamed Covid-19 in part for their demise. See here