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Kevin Durant scores 15 in first game in 18 months

KEVIN Durant returned to the court for the first time in 18 months on Sunday night and was pleased to get that step out of the way.

In his first preseason appearance for the Brooklyn Nets, Durant scored 15 points in 24 minutes. He hadn’t played since he ruptured his right Achilles tendon in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals as a member of the Golden State Warriors on June 10, 2019.

“It felt great, you know, to be back in a routine and get back on the floor and feel like a player again,” Durant said after Brooklyn’s 119-114 home win over the Washington Wizards. “I didn’t think I played great. I felt I had some solid moments.”

Durant, 32, was 5-of-12 shooting and collected three rebounds and three assists.

Perhaps most surprisingly, the 10-time All-Star who entered the NBA in 2007 was hit with a case of the nerves prior to the otherwise meaningless contest.

“I was anxious, nervous,” Durant said. “I visualized this moment for so long — nine, 10 months of thinking about how I’ll be in the next stage of my career. I felt like I was chomping at the bit. Especially when COVID hit, I was just so frustrated. I didn’t see when the season would start in the future. So I was just going through it. To go through this felt solid and I have to keep building on it.”

New Nets coach Steve Nash said he was impressed with how far Durant has come.

“It’s kind of remarkable he’s at the level he’s at,” Mr. Nash said of Durant. “It’s amazing. This is an injury that very few people have kind of conquered, so to speak. So for him to be able to be in this position, he’s done everything we could’ve asked.”

Durant is a two-time NBA champion and won his lone MVP award in 2013-14 as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder. He has averaged 27 points and 7.1 rebounds over 12 seasons (849 games) with the Seattle SuperSonics, Thunder, and Warriors.

He has led the NBA in scoring four times, most recently in 2013-14 with the Thunder, when he poured in a career-best 32 points per game.

He left the Warriors in the summer of 2019, receiving a four-year, $164 million free agent contract from the Nets in a sign-and-trade deal. — Reuters

James Harden still wants out of Houston Rockets

THE Houston Rockets tried to convince James Harden to stay by importing John Wall from the Washington Wizards.

Unfortunately for the Rockets, the maneuver doesn’t seem to have worked.

Harden, the three-time defending NBA scoring leader and a former league MVP, has continued to ask for a trade out of Houston, according to ESPN.

According to Monday’s report, after Harden arrived late to Rockets training camp last week, he “expressed to Rockets ownership and management his intention to be professional and engaged upon joining the team.”

But he still wants a “fresh start” elsewhere, the report said.

The Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers have reportedly talked with the Rockets about trades. Brooklyn would be able to reunite Harden with his former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Kevin Durant, who has repeatedly shot down reports that he and Harden have discussed Harden’s joining Brooklyn since training camp opened earlier this month.

Harden has not practiced while going through the NBA’s COVID-19 protocol, but if he passes his sixth consecutive test Monday, he could join the team. New Rockets coach Stephen Silas said Harden will make his preseason debut Tuesday against the San Antonio Spurs.

“We’ll figure out the minutes (Tuesday),” Mr. Silas said.

Silas said he and Harden have “talked basketball,” adding that Harden will have to be asked about trade speculation.

“I’m a basketball coach, he’s a basketball player,” Silas told reporters. “As far as his commitment to what we’re doing basketball-wise, he was right there.”

The Rockets traded guard Russell Westbrook to Washington for Wall just before the start of camp. Westbrook’s one-year teaming with Harden didn’t pay off, as the Rockets lost in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs in five games to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Wall missed all of last season and hasn’t played a regular-season NBA game since Dec. 26, 2018 because of knee, foot and Achilles surgeries. By all accounts, he’s looked strong in camp, and in his preseason debut with the Rockets he had 13 points, nine assists and five rebounds in a 125-104 win over the Chicago Bulls.

After he scored 21 points in a 104-91 loss to the Bulls on Sunday, Wall sounded hopeful Harden would stick around.

“I think me and James can be a heck of a combination,” Wall said. — Reuters

Crossover series

ALMOST two months after their gallant second place finish in Season Six of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League-Philippines, SMART Omega Esports is set to prove that anyone can be a gamer. The 12 athletes they have challenged are PLDT Home Fibr’s John Vic De Guzman, Mark Alfafara, Joshua Umandal, and Richard Solis; Ateneo’s SJ Belangel and Dave Ildefonso; National University’s Shaun Ildefonso and Chino Mosqueda; La Salle’s Kevin Quiambao and Emman Galman; and San Beda’s Kemark Carino and Joshua Tagala. Representing Omega are Adrian “Toshi” Bacallo, Jeniel “Haze” Bata-anon, Earvin “Heath” Esperanza, Salic “Hadjizy” Imam, Jankurt “KurTzy” Matira, Kenneth “Kenji” Villa, Steven “Daledalus” Vitug, and Anthony “Otit” Senedrin. This series of exhibitions is also serving as a breather for the Omega squad as they are also in the midst of its campaign in The Nationals Season Two.

WNBL Draft Combine

FIFTY-FOUR applicants showed up in the second and final day of the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) Draft Combine at the Victoria Sports Tower in Quezon City on Sunday Southeast Asian Games gold winner Khate Castillo, UAAP Season 82 finals MVP Monique Del Carmen, and former University of the Philippines standout Fille Claudine Cainglet headline the list of players that attended the event. A total of 115 players came to the two-day event supported by Victoria Sports, Chris Sports, Phenom, Tanita, Chooks-to-Go, Uling Roasters, and GIG Sportswear with 61 forwards and centers also attending the affair which was held under strict health and safety protocols supervised by the Games and Amusements Board. All players and league staff underwent antigen tests before entering the actual combine area. As part of the social distancing measures being implemented, no scrimmages were held and coaches will be supplied with a video of the proceedings.

NFL roundup: Bills hand Steelers second straight defeat

JOSH Allen passed for 238 yards and two touchdowns Sunday night as the Buffalo Bills handed the Pittsburgh Steelers their second straight loss, 26-15 at Orchard Park, NY.

Buffalo (10-3) spotted the Steelers (11-2) a 7-0 lead, then scored 23 straight points.

Pittsburgh was the NFL’s only undefeated team at 11-0 before losing to Washington 23-17 on Dec. 7 and then Buffalo on Sunday.

Allen was 24 of 43, with touchdown passes to Stefon Diggs (10 catches, 130 yards) and Gabriel Davis. Taron Johnson had an interception return for a touchdown.

EAGLES 24, SAINTS 21
Rookie Jalen Hurts threw a touchdown pass and rushed for 106 yards in his first National Football League (NFL) start as host Philadelphia ended New Orleans’ nine-game winning streak. The Eagles prevailed after leading 17-0 and 24-14.

Hurts, a second-round draft choice from Oklahoma, started in place of struggling Carson Wentz and completed 17 of 30 for 167 yards as the Eagles (4-8-1) ended a four-game losing streak.

Taysom Hill passed for 291 yards and two touchdowns, but threw an interception and lost a fumble as the Saints (10-3) lost for the first time in his four starts in place of injured Drew Brees.

CHIEFS 33, DOLPHINS 27
Tyreek Hill scored touchdowns on his first two touches, leading Kansas City to a division-clinching comeback win at Miami. Hill scored on a 32-yard end-around and on a 44-yard reception as the Chiefs (12-1) clinched the AFC West championship for a fifth straight season.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who had thrown just two interceptions in his first 52 quarters this season, was picked off twice in Sunday’s first 14 minutes. However, Mahomes recovered to pass for 393 yards and two touchdowns (with a career-high-tying three interceptions). Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce caught eight passes for 136 yards and one touchdown.

Miami (8-5) was led by rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who passed for a career-high 316 yards and two touchdowns — both to tight end Mike Gesicki, who left the game in the fourth quarter due to a shoulder injury.

COLTS 44, RAIDERS 27
Philip Rivers passed for 244 yards and two touchdowns and rookie Jonathan Taylor rushed for a career-high 150 yards and two touchdowns to lead Indianapolis past host Las Vegas.

It was the 19th career victory against the Raiders for Rivers, who broke a tie with Hall of Famer John Elway for most career starts (29) against the franchise. Rivers, who completed 19 of 28 passes, also increased his touchdown passes to 49 and passing yards to 7,347 against the Raiders, already the most among them.

Indianapolis (9-4) moved up to the sixth seed in the AFC playoff race with its fifth road win in seven tries this season. T.Y. Hilton caught five passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns for the Colts, who had 456 yards in total offense against Las Vegas (7-6).

PACKERS 31, LIONS 24
Aaron Rodgers passed for 290 yards and three touchdowns — including a record-setting score to Davante Adams — and ran for another TD as visiting Green Bay clinched its second straight NFC North title with a victory against Detroit.

Green Bay (10-3) vaulted into possession of the top seed in the NFC with the New Orleans Saints’ loss at Philadelphia. The Packers, who own the tiebreaker against the Saints, play two of their final three regular-season games at home.

Detroit (5-8) saw its flickering NFC playoff hopes take a hit as quarterback Matthew Stafford exited the game with a rib injury late in the fourth quarter. Stafford was shaken up on a hit by Kenny Clark and later was replaced by Chase Daniel.

WASHINGTON 23, 49ERS 15
Chase Young and Kamren Curl scored defensive touchdowns as Washington overcame a minor injury to quarterback Alex Smith in the first half to claim first place in the NFC East by defeating host San Francisco in Glendale, Ariz.

Dustin Hopkins kicked three field goals and the Washington defense stopped the 49ers (5-8) on four potential game-tying, fourth-quarter possessions to secure a fourth straight win. Washington (6-7) sits alone atop its division with three games remaining after the New York Giants lost on Sunday.

Washington used Dwayne Haskins at quarterback in the second half after Smith, bothered most of the game by a sore calf, didn’t return after the break. After the game, Washington coach Ron Rivera said Smith strained the calf muscle in his right leg, the same leg that was repaired with 17 surgeries after he suffered a gruesome knee injury in 2018. Rivera said X-rays on Smith’s calf were negative and that the 36-year-old quarterback could have returned to the game if Washington had needed him.

BEARS 36, TEXANS 7
Mitch Trubisky tossed three touchdowns passes to three different receivers in a first-half eruption as host Chicago parlayed a dominant defensive performance into a victory over Houston.

Trubisky helped the Bears (6-7) snap a six-game losing streak by thriving in his matchup against Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, who was taken 10 spots after Trubisky in the 2017 NFL Draft. Trubisky closed the first half 18 of 21 for 178 yards with scoring strikes to Jimmy Graham, Darnell Mooney and Allen Robinson II as the Bears raced to a 23-point halftime advantage.

Watso could not keep pace. He passed for 219 yards and a touchdown, but was sacked six times and briefly knocked from the game in the third quarter. Watson was tackled in the end zone for a safety for a second consecutive week as the Texans (4-9) failed to muster much of a competitive effort.

COWBOYS 30, BENGALS 7
Andy Dalton was sharp in his return to Cincinnati, and Dallas (4-9) took advantage of three first-half fumbles to snap a two-game skid with the win over the Bengals (2-10-1).

Dalton was a second-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft with the Bengals before being let go by the club in April. He was 16-of-23 passing for 185 yards and two touchdowns.

Amari Cooper had four catches for 51 yards and touchdown for Dallas, which scored at least 20 points for just the second time in the past eight games. Aldon Smith, Jourdan Lewis and Jaylon Smith each had a fumble recovery for the Cowboys.

BUCCANEERS 26, VIKINGS 14
Taking advantage of a late bye week, Tampa Bay emerged refreshed and improved its playoff prospects with a victory over visiting Minnesota.

Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady was 15 of 23 for 196 yards and two touchdowns, including a momentum-changing, 48-yard touchdown pass in the first half to Scotty Miller. Antonio Brown had five catches for 49 yards for Tampa Bay (8-5), while Ronald Jones II had 18 carries for 80 yards and a TD.

The Vikings (6-7) dropped out of playoff eligibility with the loss and the Arizona Cardinals’ victory over the New York Giants.

BRONCOS 32, PANTHERS 27
Drew Lock threw four touchdown passes and Diontae Spencer returned a punt for a score as Denver beat host Carolina.

It marked the most scoring passes in a game for Lock, a second-year pro. He went 21-of-27 for 280 yards, with two of the touchdown passes going to KJ Hamler.

Lock evened his touchdown-to-interception ratio for the season at 13 apiece as the Broncos (5-8) snapped a two-game skid. The Panthers (4-9), coming off their bye week, lost their second game in a row and fell to 2-5 at home.

CARDINALS 26, GIANTS 7
Haason Reddick set a franchise record with five sacks and Kenyan Drake rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown as Arizona beat host New York in East Rutherford, NJ

Kyler Murray went 24-of-35 passing for 244 yards and a touchdown for the Cardinals (7-6), who bolstered their playoff positioning with just their second win in the past six games. DeAndre Hopkins caught nine passes for 136 yards, Dan Arnold made a touchdown catch and Mike Nugent kicked four field goals for Arizona, which had eight sacks.

Dion Lewis rushed for a touchdown for New York (5-8), which committed three turnovers and had its four-game winning streak snapped. Daniel Jones went 11-of-21 passing for 127 yards and was sacked six times before Colt McCoy took over for the Giants’ final possession and was sacked twice by Reddick.

TITANS 31, JAGUARS 10
Derrick Henry rushed for 215 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries to lead visiting Tennessee past Jacksonville.

The Titans (9-4) maintained their lead in the AFC South, beating the Jaguars (1-12) for the seventh time in their past eight meetings, and clinched their fifth consecutive winning season.

Henry surpassed 100 rushing yards in a game at Jacksonville for the first time, and Jaguars running back James Robinson finished with 67 yards on 12 carries to become the first undrafted rookie in NFL history to reach 1,000 yards rushing through the first 14 weeks of a season.

SEAHAWKS 40, JETS 3
Russell Wilson threw four touchdown passes as the Seattle offense got untracked in the rout of visiting New York.

The Seahawks (9-4) remained tied with the Los Angeles Rams atop the NFC West. The Jets (0-13) are three losses away from joining the 2008 Detroit Lions and the 2017 Cleveland Browns as the only 0-16 teams in NFL history.

After scoring 27 or more points in each of their first eight games of the season, the Seahawks had reached that mark just once since entering Sunday’s game.

CHARGERS 20, FALCONS 17
Michael Davis intercepted a pass in the closing minute and Michael Badgley hit a 43-yard field goal on the final play as Los Angeles eliminated Atlanta from playoff contention at Inglewood, California.

Chargers rookie quarterback Justin Herbert was 36 of 44 for 243 yards and two touchdowns, giving him eight games this season with multiple TD passes. Austin Ekeler and Keenan Allen each had nine catches for Los Angeles (4-9), while Ekeler added 79 yards rushing on 15 carries.

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was 21 of 32 for 224 yards but was intercepted three times, all in the second half. Calvin Ridley had eight catches for 124 yards for Atlanta (4-9). Todd Gurley, playing in his first game in Los Angeles after being cut by the Rams, had 19 yards on six carries. — Reuters

Self-inflicted wounds

Kyrie Irving finally saw fit to talk to members of the media yesterday, and he delved on the reasons he hitherto chose not to since training camp began on Dec. 1. It couldn’t have been the $25,000 fine he incurred from the National Basketball Association for deliberately missing Media Day and instead issuing a bizarre statement “to ensure,” in his words, “that my message is properly conveyed.” After all, he remained unavailable to scribes and, in fact, appeared to double down on his stance when he noted on Instagram that “I do not talk to Pawns. My attention is worth more.” On record, he argued that “the focus is on what’s going on in here, and I wanted to make sure that was clear. No distractions. Nothing about dispelling anything. Nothing about going back and forth.”

Perhaps Irving was chastened by the prospect of continuing sanctions from the commissioner’s office. Had he kept at it, he would most certainly have absorbed more penalties, financial and otherwise. And perhaps he was enjoined by the Nets, who would have been compelled to sustain an accompanying set of damages for as long as he stayed intransigent. In any case, his decision to break his silence outside of cryptic social media posts bodes well for all and sundry. He’s one of the league’s brightest stars, and, as such, needs to be front and center in promoting its causes, not to mention earning his keep. A significant part of the whopping $33.5 million he’ll be getting through the 2020-21 season involves a willing engagement in activities outside the court.

And so Irving found himself addressing the types of queries that he would not have been subjected to had he dealt with the media properly in the first place. To be sure, his justifications made little sense. He said he did so because he wanted to focus “on what’s going on in here” instead of on any distractions. Well, he lashed out at “Pawns” like a drama queen, thus causing the so-called “distractions” himself. And, as he elaborated on his thought process, his position became even more confusing. “It’s really just about how I felt about the mistreatment of certain artists when we get to a certain platform of when we make decisions within our lives to have full control and ownership… We want to perform in a secure and protected space,” he said. Huh?

No doubt, Irving has been trying to build a wall around himself because he feels his pronouncements to be twisted once they’re processed by scribes out to create headlines. He’s wrong, of course, and all he need do is look in the mirror to know who’s at fault whenever the news portrays him in a less-than-flattering light. He’s the one who said he doesn’t know if “the Earth is constitutionally round,” the one who said “I don’t really see us as having a head coach,” the one who said he’s “the best option on every team I’ve played for down the stretch,” the one who said pairing with Kevin Durant allows him to note that “this is the first time in my career where I can be like ‘that motherf****r can make that shot, too.’” Indeed, the wounds over which his bitterness grew have been largely self-inflicted.

It’s too bad, really, because Irving doesn’t just shut up and dribble. He has put himself behind plenty of worthy causes, a number of which would benefit from information the media can impart. Because he deems his relationship with the press to be adversarial, however, all quarters are negatively impacted. The mistrust festers, and the fans wind up being the real losers.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

5 tips for ventilation to reduce COVID risk at home and work

As many of us return to the office, and congregate indoors over dinner and drinks during the summer holidays, we need to think about ventilation to minimize the indoor spread of COVID-19.

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, is spread mostly by larger particles called droplets, but also by smaller particles called aerosols, and by touch from contaminated surfaces.

Aerosol particles are lighter than droplet-sized particles, and can be suspended in the air for longer. The suspension and therefore transmission of aerosols is facilitated by poor ventilation.

Increasing ventilation indoors, with fresh outdoor air, is a key method of dispersing viral particles. Ventilation can reduce the risk that just one COVID-positive person (who might not yet know they’re infectious) will infect others.

There are some simple measures you can take, both at home and at work, to improve ventilation over the holiday period and beyond.

• Open windows and doors

The best strategy at home and at work is simply to open windows and doors.

If you’re having friends and family over for a meal, or your office Christmas party, consider moving tables and chairs closer to open windows and open up a door to create a through breeze.

Or, if weather permits, eat outside.

• Set your air conditioner to pull fresh air from outside

Air conditioners can help, but they must be on the right setting.

At work or home, you don’t want to recirculate indoor air, as this just fans the same air around the room (but now colder or warmer).

Instead, always make sure your air conditioner is set to bring in 100% fresh air from outside. There are settings in offices that allow the system to increase air change per hour, meaning it can reduce the time it takes for all the air inside the room to be completely replaced with outside fresh air.

But the direction of the airflow is also important. For example, airflow from an air conditioner (that was recirculating air rather than pulling it from outside) was implicated in spreading the virus to a number of diners at tables downstream in a restaurant in China.

Offices welcoming back staff should prepare their air conditioners by having their engineers service the system to pull in fresh air faster than the pre-COVID setting (which may have been around 40 liters per second per person) at no less than 60 liters per second, per person.

In hospitals, aged-care facilities, and hotel quarantine, qualified engineers should be brought in to assess the adequacy of the air conditioner’s airflow. This is particularly crucial for any “hot zones” accommodating people who are COVID-positive.

The World Health Organisation recommends hot zones have 12 airflow changes per hour (that’s 80 liters per second per person), meaning the air is totally replaced 12 times every 60 minutes. This is the gold standard for ventilation, and can be very hard to achieve in many buildings.

• Use fans

Guidelines released last week by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend placing fans near open windows to enhance airflow. The recommendation is to keep fans on at all times when a room is occupied, for example at restaurants.

As with aircons, fans can be dangerous if they push the air directly from one person to another, and one is infectious. You should place the fan so it increases the flow of fresh air into the room, and shouldn’t be placed so the air moves from the room towards the open window or open door.

• Don’t bother with HEPA filters at home

High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters have been marketed as a way to reduce the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 particles in the air.

Their effectiveness is dependent on the airflow capacity of the unit, the configuration of the room, the number of people in the room, and the position of the filter in the room.

But there’s no evidence to suggest a portable HEPA filter unit will help in your home. So don’t rush out and buy one for Christmas.

They may be effective in some areas of health care, such as a COVID ward in a hospital or in aged care homes, particularly when used in negative-pressure rooms. The combination of the HEPA filter and negative air pressure reduces the risk of aerosol particles escaping into the corridor.

• In public transport, open windows

COVID outbreaks have been traced back to exposure on public transport. For example, a young man in Hunan Province, China, traveled on two buses and infected multiple people who were sitting in different areas of the buses. A study of this cluster was carried out by Chinese researchers, who put forward one theory regarding airflow:

“The closed windows with running ventilation on the buses could have created an ideal environment for aerosol transmission […] the ventilation inlets were aligned above the windows on both sides, and the exhaust fan was in the front, possibly creating an airflow carrying aerosols containing the viral particles from the rear to the middle and front of the vehicle.”

The study’s authors recommend all windows be open on public transport to help disperse viral particles. If you’re on a tram or a bus, you should open them if you can.

However, on some forms of public transport it might be impossible, like trains. In these instances, you should wear a mask.

Likewise, it’s ideal to have the windows down in Ubers and taxis. But if you can’t or don’t want to, turn on the air conditioner and have it pull fresh air from outside. And still wear a mask! — The Conversation

Immune system can cause broad damage in COVID-19; dogs can detect coronavirus in people

The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.

Immune system can self-attack broadly in COVID-19

Antibodies are supposed to attack invading germs, but severely ill COVID-19 patients have so-called autoantibodies that mistakenly attack not just their own tissues and organs but even virus-fighting proteins produced by the immune system, new research shows. 

Scientists studied 194 COVID-19 patients, including 55 with severe disease, plus a control group of 30 people without the virus. In the sickest patients, they found a high frequency of autoantibodies created by the immune system causing injury to the central nervous system, blood vessels, and connective tissues like cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. 

They also found a high prevalence of autoantibodies that interfere with substances involved in the functioning of the immune system itself, including cytokines and other “immunomodulatory” proteins. “The surprising extent of autoantibody reactivities” in these patients indicates that these mistakenly targeted antibodies are “an intrinsic aspect” of COVID-19. The report was posted on medRxiv on Saturday ahead of peer review. 

Dogs can sniff out COVID-19

Trained dogs can identify people with COVID-19, even those with no symptoms, according to researchers. In the preliminary study published on Thursday in PLoS One, dogs who sniffed swab samples of armpit sweat could tell which samples came from COVID-19 patients and which were from people who tested negative for the new coronavirus. That study was conducted in March. 

More recently, the researchers have validated the findings in additional trials, said study leader Dominique Grandjean of Alfort Veterinary School in France. Dogs can identify infected individuals with 85% to 100% accuracy and rule out infection with 92% to 99% accuracy, Mr. Grandjean said. “It takes one-tenth of a second for a trained dog to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’,” he said. Training requires 3 to 8 weeks depending on whether the dog is already trained for odor detection. 

COVID-19-detecting dogs have already been deployed in airports in the United Arab Emirates, Grandjean said. On Wednesday, the UAE and the International K9 Working Group Against COVID-19 will host a virtual workshop on the use of these trained dogs, with 25 countries expected to participate, according to the organizers. 

COVID-19 not linked with Guillain-Barré syndrome

COVID-19 is not associated with the potentially paralyzing disorder Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a large UK study shows. 

In GBS, the immune system mistakenly attacks nerves in the feet, hands and limbs. Smaller studies have suggested a link between COVID-19 and GBS. But when researchers compared the number of GBS cases recorded in the UK’s National Health Service database in 2016 to 2019 to the number recorded in the first half of 2020, they found the annual incidence was 40% to 50% lower during the pandemic. 

“No causal link of COVID-19 to GBS can be made,” Stephen Keddie of University College London said in a statement. His team reported on Monday in the journal Brain that they also looked for—  but could not find—any genetic or protein structure in the new coronavirus that might trigger an immune response causing GBS, which is good news for vaccine development. 

“Most COVID-19 vaccinations are based on the (coronavirus’) spike protein, which drives a complex immune response creating antibodies to fight infection,” Mr. Keddie said. Since researchers found nothing in the virus that is known to drive GBS, “concerns that COVID vaccination might cause GBS in any significant numbers are therefore almost certainly unfounded,” he said. 

Antibiotic azithromycin fails to help in severe COVID-19

The antibiotic azithromycin failed to help seriously ill adults infected with the new coronavirus, according to results from a clinical trial. 

Based on the result, the only COVID-19 patients who should get the antibiotic are those who also have bacterial infections, the study leaders said. The trial, conducted at 176 hospitals across the UK, involved more than 9,000 patients and tested multiple drugs to see if any would be more effective than standard hospital care in treating COVID-19. 

According to preliminary data published on Monday on medRxiv ahead of peer review, patients who were randomly assigned to receive azithromycin did no better than patients who got standard care in terms of deaths, duration of hospitalization, or need for mechanical ventilation. 

“More than 75% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are prescribed antibiotics,” the researchers point out. “Although we detected no harm to individual patients treated with azithromycin, there is a risk of harm at a societal level from widespread use of antimicrobial agents,” researchers said. The widespread use of antibiotics in COVID-19 patients “in general must be questioned,” they concluded. — Nancy Lapid/Reuters

US FTC seeks data on how Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and others use personal data

The FTC is seeking to learn how the companies collect data on users, how they decide which advertisements to show, and how algorithms are used, among other information, the agency said in a statement.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is seeking information from Facebook, Twitter, and other social media and video streaming companies about how they use the personal information that they collect on their users, the US agency said on Monday.

In addition to Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc., the orders requesting data were sent to Facebook subsidiary WhatsApp, Amazon.com Inc., China’s ByteDance unit TikTok, Discord Inc., Reddit Inc., Snap Inc., and Google subsidiary YouTube LLC.

The FTC is seeking to learn how the companies collect data on users, how they decide which advertisements to show, and how algorithms are used, among other information, the agency said in a statement. It is also seeking information about how the companies’ practices affect children and teenagers.

The companies have 45 days to respond to the orders, which are usually used to generate policy or recommend legislation.

In a joint statement, two Democratic members of the commission, Rohit Chopra and Rebecca Slaughter, and one Republican, Christine Wilson, noted their impetus for the order.

“Never before has there been an industry capable of surveilling and monetizing so much of our personal lives,” they wrote. “Social media and video streaming companies now follow users everywhere through apps on their always-present mobile devices. This constant access allows these firms to monitor where users go, the people with whom they interact, and what they are doing. … Too much about the industry remains dangerously opaque.”

Discord said it looked forward to answering the FTC’s questions. “We make no money from advertising, selling user data to advertisers, or sharing users’ personal information with others. Instead, the company generates its revenue directly from users through a paid subscription service,” a spokesperson said in an e-mail statement.

None of the other companies immediately responded to a request for comment. — Reuters

Third of world’s people get no state aid during pandemic — Oxfam

NEW YORK — More than a third of the world’s population—some 2.7 billion people—has not received government aid during the coronavirus pandemic, Oxfam said on Tuesday, with gaping differences between rich and poor countries.

An analysis of World Bank data conducted by the Nairobi-based charity found that while $9.8 trillion of aid was spent by 36 wealthy nations, 59 low-income countries spent only $42 billion to cope with the economic fallout of the pandemic.

It also found that rich countries have spent at the rate of $695 per person, whereas low-income and emerging countries have spent at a per capita rate of between $28 to as low as $4.

Moreover, the world’s wealthiest nations have only increased aid to developing countries by $5.8 billion, the study showed.

“The coronavirus united the world in fear but has divided it in response,” said Oxfam Executive Director Gabriela Bucher.

“The pandemic sparked a laudable global effort that reached more than a billion more people with social protection support over 2020 but, as of today, more people still have been left behind entirely,” Ms. Bucher added. “That need not be so.”

Prior to the pandemic, up to four billion people lacked social protection—state-funded welfare aid—with the World Bank estimating that only 1.3 billion of them have been reached during the crisis, the researchers said.

The report noted that many developing countries have been able to mobilize non-financial help, like food aid, but that it is often “insufficient” in formal social protection schemes.

In a separate report, the United Nations found that one in 33 people will need humanitarian aid to meet basic needs like food, water, and sanitation in 2021, an increase of 40% from this year. — Matthew Lavietes/Thomson Reuters Foundation

Petron to suspend Bataan refinery operations from January

MANILA – Petron Corp, the Philippines’ only oil refiner, said on Tuesday it would suspend operations at its 180,000-barrel-per-day Bataan refinery beginning next month to minimise losses from weak refining margins.

The announcement comes four months after the Philippine unit of Royal Dutch Shell decided to transform its 110,000-bpd Tabangao facility in Batangas province into an import terminal, saying the refining business was no longer economically viable.
Several oil refiners around the world have cut output or shutter operations as demand had collapsed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The suspension will start by the second half of January, Petron told the Philippine Stock Exchange. It did not disclose any timetable for resuming the refinery operations.

Petron, a unit of conglomerate San Miguel Corp, said the refinery will undergo maintenance during the shutdown, which it said will not have an impact on domestic supply.

“There will be no supply disruption as a result of the shutdown given the healthy inventory of the company and the replenishment by the company of its supply through the importation of finished products,” it said.

Just last month, Petron had said it intended to keep its Philippine refinery running but expressed hopes to get government support via tax relief. – Reuters

Business lessons from COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the usual assumptions that we have in the way business is conducted. The resulting lockdown slowed down all of our lives to a halt. As with any other company, Etiqa Philippines has had to adjust and learn from these challenging times in order to adapt to the New Normal. Today, I wish to share with you four of the most important lessons that 2020 has taught us, as an organization:

1. In times of crisis, protect your fellow employees first so they can continue to look after your clients

Our company’s vision is to become a leading insurance provider supported by highly effective people and enabled by technology.  To maintain this high level of effectiveness, our employees must be able to remain healthy, safe, and secure to ensure that we are able to follow through with our commitments to our clients and policyholders.  From a financial point of view, I’ve realized that during a pandemic, it is not only vital for the survival of an organization to maintain adequate levels of cash reserves but most importantly, you must be able to protect the quality and resiliency of your human capital.

2. Adapt swiftly to change without compromising values and fundamentals

Like many of our peers, we implemented our business continuity plans in response to the quarantine measures. This resulted in our pivot towards more contactless transaction processing, company-wide work-from-home arrangements, and the recalibration of our policies.  All processes and procedures are necessary to adapt to the New Normal. Dire circumstances may have forced us to deviate from our business-as-usual practices, but the focus on corporate governance fundamentals and our values of Agility, Teamwork, Integrity, Growth Mindset, Excellence, and Relationship Building remained unchanged.

3. The importance of digital and online:

During these times, we’ve come to appreciate the benefits and advantages of having our products and services available online for our clients and even for our operations.  Platforms such as a seamless fund transfer facility in place that enables us to make and receive payments like PesoNet; the convenience of having a mobile app for our members like our Smile App, which was launched in November of last year; and the ease and convenience that our e-commerce platforms offer to our patrons, such as our online E-ZY Pneumonia Plan (https://www.etiqa.com.ph/pneumonia-plan/) and our Travel Assistance Plan (https://www.etiqa.com.ph/travelinsurance/).  

4. Humanize through gratitude and empathy

Despite what has happened throughout the year, I remain grateful for the blessings we continue to enjoy, the challenges that have strengthened our resolve, and the opportunities we have to apply the learnings of 2020 for years to come. The health, economic, and sociological crises caused by the pandemic have also shown that empathy is the most important human attribute that any company should have.

I hope these four lessons will prove as helpful to you as they are to me. I carry them with me as I continue to help Etiqa Philippines achieve its goal of Humanizing Insurance and its thrust to bring smiles to millions of Filipinos. 

All the best and stay safe.

About Etiqa Philippines:

Etiqa Philippines, formerly AsianLife& General Assurance Corporation, is a Composite Insurance Company that provides a wide range of both Group Life and General Insurance, Group Medical Benefits, Individual Life and Non-Life, and variable products that cater to various protection, savings, and investment needs for all segments in the Philippines. Our products are offered to Corporate and individual clients through both traditional and online channels via our website (https://etiqa.com.ph/), as well as via existing partnerships with local banking networks such as Maybank Philippines for Bancassurance.

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