Discussion topics

Currently, 34 vaccine candidates for the novel coronavirus are in various stages of clinical development, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). However, the process is long, typically many years. In the race for a vaccine, there is some debate on the merits of rushing through the process.

The vaccines process is long because there are 3 phases of trials. The first two trials focus on effectiveness—does the vaccine work or not. This is a relatively straightforward question and it can be proven in relatively small sample sizes. So, just a few hundred people are needed to test it. However, Phase 3 is used to prove the safety and efficacy of the vaccine—does it have significant side-effects, is it safe for people with compromised immune systems, and can everyone use it?

That means Phase 3 typically involves many thousands of people and can take a significant amount of time. 

Chinese vaccines are being tested currently in Phase 3 clinical trials in several countries around the world, but are still facing the hurdles of data accuracy and patient recruitment. Some have suggested rushing through Phase 3, but this has drawn criticism from the WHO. “This Phase 3 must take longer because we need to see how truly protective the vaccine is and we also need to see how safe it is,” WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said during a media conference.

This opinion is a rant—a passionate, typically angry, speech or piece of writing about one particular topic.

This rant is about American anti-maskers—people who are opposed to wearing a face mask during the coronavirus outbreak. 

Take a deep breath and try to read as emphatically as you can.
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"I can't stand it! These people who won't wear masks even though all the medical science says it helps prevent the spread of COVID-19. I hope all the anti-maskers have never taken meds for anything, or know anyone who has. That includes blood pressure meds, insulin, asthma inhalers, allergy medicine, pain relievers, eye drops—heck, even bandaids! What do they put on a cut? Natural remedies like moss and honey? I highly doubt it. So they're either totally ignorant, or total hypocrites.

The real problem is, they have no critical thinking skills. They believe whatever they hear as long as it fits with what they already believe. They'll say, 'Yes! That's the truth!'  Even if it's totally wrong. They don't stop to think about who's saying it or why. They don't stop to think. Period.

That's why the world is in so much trouble. That's why people refuse to believe the medical scientists and refuse to wear masks. And that's why the U.S. has the highest coronavirus infection rates of any developed country. It infuriates me that we are all put at risk because people don't know how, or won't, think."

Mascots, or yuru-kyara, are incredibly popular in Japan. There are yuru-kyara for everything, from sports teams to prefectures to a toilet disinfectant (seriously). Now they're offering the world a mascot for the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The yōkai (supernatural being) Amabié was first described in 1846, during a series of severe epidemics in Japan. It has three legs, a fish-like body, and the head of a bird with long, flowing hair. The original story goes that Amabié was spotted by an unnamed man on top of the ocean waves, glowing with a strange light. It gave its name to the man and prophesied a good harvest. Then Amabié said, "Should an epidemic come, draw me and show me to those who fall ill and they will be cured,” and disappeared into the water, supposedly never to be seen again.

But now Amabié has returned, so to speak. People around the world are drawing it so much that it's become the unofficial COVID-19 mascot. It's represented in all sorts of styles, from cute cartoons to sexy superheroes. Check out #amabie on Instagram and #amabiechallenge on Facebook and Twitter to see Amabié around the world. And post your own version—who knows, it might help us overcome the coronavirus!

Around 48 million people have some degree of hearing loss. Given the rise of wearing face masks in public, hearing-impaired people are struggling to understand those wearing ordinary masks as they muffle their voices. One way to solve this problem is to put on masks with clear windows.

When wearing such a mask, people can see your lips, which allows the deaf or hard-of-hearing to lipread and see facial expressions.

Alicia Austin teaches infants and children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Currently, Austin has many online lessons with her students, and she says that wearing a mask can make communication problematic. She says that children need to see facial expressions and recognition to learn, even if they do not have a hearing disability.

On top of this, window masks are also very helpful to people with diminished hearing, typically older people or grandparents, who rely on face-to-face interaction to understand

Classic Australian lollies Redskins and Chicos are set to be renamed so they don't marginalise consumers, confectionery company Allens has announced.

The decision was made by the brand's parent company, Nestlé, because a redskin is a slang term for Native Americans in the U.S., where it is considered offensive. Chico, which is Spanish for "boy", is also used in a derogatory way. 

"This decision acknowledges the need to ensure that nothing we do marginalises our friends, neighbours and colleagues," the company said in a statement. "These names have overtones which are out of step with Nestlé's values, which are rooted in respect."

The company has yet to announce new names for the popular treats.

According to CNN, the outbreak of the coronavirus is pushing many Americans to buy their groceries online. With shoppers stuck in their homes, downloads of Walmart's grocery app and Shipt increased by 160%, and 124%, respectively, in early March compared with the same period last year. Instacart more than tripled, increasing by 218%!

While shopping for books and electronics online, and ordering dinner through delivery apps, have become the norm in American life, before the coronavirus outbreak most customers still preferred to purchase their meat and vegetables at the store. Last year, only 4% of grocery sales in the United States were made online.

According to a survey by analysts at Gordon Haskett Research Advisor, a third of consumers said that they had purchased groceries for online pickup or delivery in March, 2020. Around 41% said they were buying groceries online for the first time.

Big grocers like Walmart have been experimenting with new ways to fulfill online orders in the past few years. However, analysts say that consumers adopting online grocery shopping may add to the pressure small and mid-sized grocers already face, since they don't have as much capital to invest in building an online delivery infrastructure.

Global News, a Canadian news outlet, reported that astronomers detected an explosion over fifteen times the size of our galaxy. This makes it the biggest blast ever recorded.

The massive explosion occurred hundreds of millions of light-years away, where a supermassive black hole emitted large amounts of energy and matter while devouring a galaxy, blowing a hole in space that’s 2.58 million light-years across. It wiped out trillions of stars and tore through the surrounding galaxies. Researchers spotted the hole from the colossal gap it left in the middle of a cluster of galaxies.

The blast occurred in the Ophiucus cluster, a collection of galaxies some 390 million light-years away. It’s unclear exactly when the explosion happened, but researchers say it was definitely millions of years ago.

The cashless economy has become increasingly prevalent in developed countries such as the U.S. and Japan. Consumers are incentivized to use debit or credit cards through discounts and freebies, and banks and credit card companies collect information on people’s spending habits.

Some stores in the U.S. have decided to stop accepting cash from customers altogether, which has resulted in a backlash. Millions of people, most of whom live below the poverty line, do not have a bank account and only deal in cash. Advocates have argued that the cashless economy discriminates against poor people and the homeless.

American cities and states have started banning cashless stores on the grounds that they are discriminatory. San Francisco, New York City, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New Jersey have recently passed legislation forcing stores to accept all types of legal tender.

According to The Japan Times, the tragic events of March 11, 2011, when a massive earthquake and tsunami triggered meltdowns at three nuclear reactors in Fukushima, forced Japan to reconsider nuclear energy. Today, 24 of Japan’s 33 reactors remain offline.

After the disaster, the government increased its push toward renewable energy, but it also invested heavily in coal projects. The dirty fuel was seen as the fastest, cheapest and most reliable way to keep the lights on.

A return to coal has left Japan with only modest long-term climate goals. Electricity generation is now responsible for almost 40 percent of the country’s emissions, and Japan aims to cut total emissions 26 percent by 2030 from 2013 levels.

Renewable energy from wind, solar and hydro is projected to make up less than a quarter of total electricity by 2030, far below the global average. Roughly the same amount is projected to come from zero-emission nuclear sources, but only if the government turns on additional reactors. Even under optimistic scenarios for the next decade, more than half of electricity will come from coal, natural gas and other fossil fuels.