Should I worry about side-effects from the Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine? | Coronavirus | The Guardian

Among more than 7m vaccine doses, scientists are investigating six cases of women between 18 and 48 who developed a rare blood clot, one that critically needs to be treated without heparin, a common blood thinner.

The pause has caused concern worldwide, among health professionals and ordinary citizens. Here are some of the key questions being asked:

What is happening with the J&J vaccine?

US health officials “paused” distribution while a potentially serious clotting syndrome is investigated. Among the 7.2 million people who received the vaccine, just six cases were discovered. (.0000833333333333%)

In all six cases, the potential side-effect occurred between six and 13 days post-vaccination, after the period when people’s common and usually mild flu-like side-effects are resolved. Health officials advised that people suffering from a severe headache, leg or abdominal pain or shortness of breath should tell their doctors if they were recently vaccinated.

Source: Should I worry about side-effects from the Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine? | Coronavirus | The Guardian

Facebook planned to remove fake accounts in India – until it realized a BJP politician was involved | Social media | The Guardian

Facebook allowed a network of fake accounts to artificially inflate the popularity of an MP from India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP), for months after being alerted to the problem.

The company was preparing to remove the fake accounts but paused when it found evidence that the politician was probably directly involved in the network, internal documents seen by the Guardian show.

The company’s decision not to take timely action against the network, which it had already determined violated its policies, is just the latest example of Facebook holding the powerful to lower standards than it does regular users.

“It’s not fair to have one justice system for the rich and important and one for everyone else, but that’s essentially the route that Facebook has carved out,” said Sophie Zhang, a former data scientist for Facebook who uncovered the inauthentic network. Zhang has come forward to expose the company’s failure to address how its platform is being used to manipulate political discourse around the world.

Facebook’s failure to act against the MP will also raise questions about Facebook’s relationship with the Hindu nationalist party. Facebook has repeatedly treated rule violations by BJP leaders with undue leniency, the Wall Street Journal reported in August 2020.

Since Narendra Modi and the BJP harnessed the power of Facebook and took power in India’s 2014 general election, deceptive social media tactics have become commonplace in Indian politics, according to local experts.

Source: Facebook planned to remove fake accounts in India – until it realized a BJP politician was involved | Social media | The Guardian

Germany’s third Covid wave needs drastic measures, says health chief | Coronavirus | The Guardian

The head of Germany’s disease control agency has called for drastic measures to curb the country’s third wave of coronavirus infections, with intensive care beds filled to capacity in some areas.

Lothar Wieler, the director of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), said Germans needed to drastically reduce contact with each other to rein in the third wave, which he said would get worse as long as it remained out of control.

“As feared and predicted,” Wieler said, the more infectious B117 mutation, first detected in the UK, was responsible for 90% of infections. More patients would need intensive care treatment than during the second wave, which reached its peak in January, he said.

Source: Germany’s third Covid wave needs drastic measures, says health chief | Coronavirus | The Guardian

Man brings guns, rounds of ammunition to Malibu beach – Los Angeles Times

Lt. Jim Braden of the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station said Kiddy made lewd comments toward a woman and told her to get in his van. While speaking to Kiddy, deputies noticed he was concealing a rifle.

“Basically, he had a trench coat on, and he had a rifle with a strap over his shoulder underneath the trench coat,” Braden said.

When deputies searched Kiddy, they found he also had three pistols attached to his waist, along with a large supply of ammo, Braden said. All of the weapons were loaded.

A search of Kiddy’s car revealed additional items, including shotguns, authorities said. Braden estimated that Kiddy had between 1,200 and 1,500 rounds of ammunition in the car and on his body.

Source: Man brings guns, rounds of ammunition to Malibu beach – Los Angeles Times

Maxine Waters cuts off Jim Jordan, Fauci sparring at hearing: ‘Shut your mouth’ | TheHill – (Me: She does her job well!)

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) told Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) to “shut your mouth” during a congressional hearing on Thursday.

During a House Oversight coronavirus subcommittee hearing, Jordan and the country’s top infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci clashed over public health precautions, with both men raising their voices.

When Jordan ran out of time for questions, subcommittee Chairman James Clyburn (D-S.C.) turned the questioning over to Waters, but Jordan continued his questioning.

“I’d like my question answered,” Jordan said.

Source: Maxine Waters cuts off Jim Jordan, Fauci sparring at hearing: ‘Shut your mouth’ | TheHill

India’s daily coronavirus cases top 200,000 for 1st time

“India’s daily new cases continue to rise. 200,739 new cases were registered in the last 24 hours,” the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in a statement.

Vendors are seen with their masks moved down in a commercial district in New Delhi on Sept. 4, 2020. (Kyodo) 

It said India now counts a total of 14,074,564 confirmed cases, with 173,123 deaths.

The world’s second most populous country, which is now in the throes of a second virus surge, recorded over 100,000 cases on April 5 for the first time since the pandemic began last year, far surpassing the September peak in its first surge.

It surpassed Brazil earlier this week to once again become the world’s second most infected country after the United States.

Source: India’s daily coronavirus cases top 200,000 for 1st time