World Coronavirus Dispatch: Trials show Russian vaccine is 92% effective

Daily global deaths cross 12,000, Nasdaq up 2% as stay-at-home stocks recover, poor and young bear brunt of Europe's recession, and other pandemic-related news across the globe

Global deaths jumped by more than 12,000, another daily record, according to data from Johns Hopkins. Japan is bracing for a new daily record of coronavirus infections, as authorities began hinting they may take stronger measures to arrest the increase. Cases worldwide have topped 52 million. Germany’s infection rate eased. US new daily cases set a record, with the early epicentre of New York ordering measures to tamp down a fresh wave. Covid hospitalisations climbed by more than 10 percent in five days across six US states.

 

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Let’s look at the global statistics:

Total Confirmed Cases: 52,127,695

Change Over Yesterday: 625,591

Total Deaths: 1,284,465

Total Recovered: 33,926,869

 

Nations hit with most cases: US (10,400,227), India (8,683,916), Brazil (5,699,005), France (1,857,309) and Russia (1,822,345)

 

Source: Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center 

 

Russian Covid vaccine shows encouraging results: Early results from trials of a Covid vaccine developed in Russia suggest it could be 92 percent effective. The data is based on 20 cases of Covid-19 from 16,000 volunteers given the Sputnik V vaccine or a dummy injection. While some scientists welcomed the news, others said the data had been rushed out too early. Read more here

 

Traders poised for soaring bonuses while dealmakers to see a dip: Bond traders could see their year-end bonuses rise 45 per cent or more from last year, while equities traders could see a 25 per cent jump, according to a closely watched survey from compensation consultant Johnson Associates Inc. Debt and equity underwriters will also see a jump of 40 percent or more. Read more here

 

Searches for Hong Kong to Singapore flights triple in hours: Online searches for flights from Hong Kong to Singapore surged 300 percent within three hours of the announcement an air travel bubble would open between the two financial hubs on 22 November, according to Trip.com. Searches for Singapore to Hong Kong flights jumped 200 percent, and volume climbed for hotels in both cities as well. Read more here 

 

US notches up more Covid-19 case and hospitalisation records: Reported new Covid-19 infections of 142,279 were at an all-time daily high for a second day in a row and above 100,000 for an eighth consecutive day, according to tally. The number of people hospitalized with the virus also surged, to at least 64,939 by late Wednesday, the highest ever during the pandemic. The death toll rose by 1,464. Read more here

 

Nasdaq jumps 2% as ‘stay at home’ stocks recover: The technology-focused Nasdaq Composite index gained 2 per cent, outpacing the broader S&P 500, which closed higher by 0.8 percent. US financial stocks, which are viewed as a bellwether for economic recovery trades, were among the worst performers on the S&P 500. In the previous two sessions, exuberance about the vaccine had prompted a sell-off in tech shares and lifted economically sensitive sectors such as banks and travel. Read more here

 

Specials 

 

Poor and young people are suffering the most in Europe’s recession
“The coronavirus has produced a highly unusual recession and is likely to give rise to a similarly unsteady recovery,” said Christine Lagarde, the president of the European Central Bank. Unlike many recessions, this one has struck service businesses like restaurants, stores, hotels and airlines more severely than factories. People in these industries tend to earn less than other sectors, and are often younger. They account for half of the people who have lost their jobs, even though services account for one-fifth of economic output in the eurozone, Lagarde said. Joblessness among young people “can have a variety of long-lasting effects, including lower earnings 10 to 15 years later, and worse future health conditions,” Ms. Lagarde said. Read more here

 

At home: How to build mental endurance
The drive to persevere is something some are born with, but it’s also a muscle everyone can learn to flex. In a way, everyone has become an endurance athlete of sorts during this pandemic, running a race with no finish line that tests the limits of their exhaustion.

Some of the world’s best extreme athletes shared what they do when they think they’ve reached their last straw. How do they not only endure, but thrive in daily challenges?

One message they all had: You are stronger than you think you are, and everyone is able to adapt in ways they didn’t think possible. But there are a few techniques to help you along — 100-mile race not required. Read here