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CDC Confirms Nearly 15 Million People Dodge Their Second Dose Of COVID19 Shot In The United States

July 15, 2021 by Talkherald Leave a Comment

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that nearly 15 million people who have been eligible to take shots have dodged their second dose of the COVID19 vaccine in the US. The officials have said that more than one in 10 people have missed their second jab in the country. During mid-June, around 11 percent of people who have had enough time to get their second dose of the vaccine has neglected their perfect window of second dose vaccination. The number of people who have missed their second jab has shot up from 8 percent during the first phase of this year. The CDC spokesperson, Kate Fowlie has said that the rise in the number of people missing their second dose is not unforeseen. The second dose is given three weeks after the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine and almost four weeks after the first dose of the Moderna vaccine. A second dose is taken as a missed dose if more than 42 days are passed after the first jab, said the experts.

Health experts have said that these 15 million people have missed their second jab due to a number of reasons such as thinking that only one dose is enough for their protection. Some people have dodged their second jab, as they have been scared of the unpleasant side effects of the second dose. On the other hand, some people simply dodge their appointment for the second dose and never reschedule it. Dr. David Broniatowski who is the associate director of George Washington University’s Data Democracy and Politics has said that some people assume that as they have tested positive for COVID19 in the past, so they do not require the second dose and one dose of the shot is enough to protect them from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Broniatowski has said that it is important to study why people are missing their second dose. The authorities need to change their public messaging to address people’s concerns and inhibition.

Health officials have said that during the early stage of the pandemic, experts have been studying whether one dose of the shot will be enough to provide some immunity to people. They have thought that some protection from the virus is far better than none. However, it has led to a certain kind of confusion among people on whether two doses of the shot are required or not. Dr. Broniatowski has said that such kinds of theories get people thinking about other concerns and barriers linked to the second dose of the shot. Many health experts have warned people that no matter how busy people are and how badly they want to avoid feeling sick after vaccination, two doses of immunization is very crucial as the more concerning Delta variant is spreading across the United States. Health and Social care secretary Matt Hancock from the UK has said that it has been established how vital the second dose is in offering robust protection against COVID19 and its various strains. The CDC has said that people who suffer severe allergic reactions after the first jab should not take the second jab; otherwise, everyone should complete their two-dose vaccine regime. There is no enough data on how effective the second dose if it is taken after 42 days of the first dose.

Filed Under: Health

EV Startup Workhorse Challenges USPS’s Decision Of Granting Vehicle Contract To Oshkosh

July 1, 2021 by Talkherald Leave a Comment

Electric Vehicles manufacturer Workhorse has officially challenged the decision of the United States Postal Service to grant the contract of next-generation mail vehicle to Oshkosh. The American startup has now filed a formal complaint with the United States Federal Court. The Cincinnati-based company has been working on developing drone-integrated cost-effective electric vehicles with the aim of serving the last mile delivery sector. Workhorse was among the competitors of the contract but the USPS awarded it to defense contractor Oshkosh. The complaint against the bid is currently sealed. However, the judge can order to make some part of the sealed document public. This is because a redacted version of the complaint has also been filed by the Workhorse. The version can be ultimately made public. The bid protest kicks off a court fight as the USPS announced back in February that it had selected Wisconsin-based Oshkosh Defense to manufacture its next generation mail truck. The new generation of US-built postal delivery vehicles is slated to hit roads in 2023. The contract is best remembered because of the design mockups that accompanied the announcement. The design released featured a mail vehicle that is cartoonishly rounded-out and looked more like a goofy clown car.

Under the contract, which is around worth USD 6 billion, the Wisconsin-based company will manufacture 50,000 to 165,000 of the vehicles over 10 years. The trucks can be retrofitted in order to keep pace with the latest development in the field of electric vehicle technology. These vehicles will either be equipped with fuel-efficient internal combustion engines or battery-electric powertrains. This is because the Biden administration wants all such vehicles to run on electric power. Before this contract was granted, Workhorse had proposed manufacturing an all-electric vehicle fleet for the United States Postal Service. The idea had garnered the support of several key lawmakers of the United States within no time. But funding seems to be a major sticking point behind the electrification of the USPS fleet. However, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has promised to have at least 10 percent of the USPS fleet as electric vehicles. In a letter to lawmakers, he had also written about government assistance could be of great help in launching the majority of electric feet in the next decade. The USPS was planning to replace mail trucks with new vehicles by 2018. Six companies were initially selected by the UPSP and the bidding process dragged on for years.

USPS has refused to comment on the complaint filed by Workhorse. But it said that everything is on schedule and the first estimated delivery is expected to be on schedule. “We never comment on any ongoing litigation. The USPS is looking forward to the production of electric vehicles for our Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV),” a USPS representative said. Commenting on the complaint, Oshkosh Defense said that bid protests are normal in any government contracting process. “This is very common and we don’t comment on it,” said Alexandra C. Hittle of Oshkosh Defense. “We are extremely proud one being shortlisted to fulfill the needs of the NGDV program. We look forward to providing these vehicles to mail carriers.” Workhorse was among the final three companies that submitted final bids. Moreover, it was the only one that proposed building an electric mail fleet. The design revealed by Oshkosh in February was capable of running both on gas and electric drivetrains. Oshkosh said that it is still working on the final design of the vehicle. The company also said that the vehicle will not hit roads before 2023. The company is not ready to talk about whether Ford is involved in the final pitch. The question is being asked because Ford was part of it during the bidding process.

Filed Under: Business

Health Officials Reveal Currently Unvaccinated People Contribute To Almost All COVID19 Deaths Taking Place In The US

June 26, 2021 by Talkherald Leave a Comment

A review of all available government data has found that people who have not been vaccinated against COVID19 account for almost all COVID deaths happening in the US at present. Experts have claimed that it shows that the number of daily deaths, which has come down to under 300, would have gone down to zero if all those people who are eligible for vaccination would have taken the shot. The report has shown that breakthrough COVID19 cases in fully vaccinated people contribute to less than 1200 out of more than 853000 hospitalizations. Only 150 fully vaccinated people have lost their lives out of more than 18000 COVID19 deaths in the month of May. It renders to nearly 0.8 percent or five deaths each day on average. The analysis has used the data that have been provided by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, the CDC has not been able to track what percentage of hospitalizations and deaths have occurred in people who have been vaccinated with full two doses of the vaccine. The officials have said that they have very limited data as only 45 states report breakthrough cases in fully immunized people. In the first week of June, a former advisor to the Biden administration, Andy Slavitt has said that nearly 98 to 99 percent of people in the US who are losing their lives due to COVID19 have not been vaccinated.

The director of the CDC, Rochelle Walensky has said that COVID19 shots are so efficient that they can prevent nearly every death that is happening among adults. She has said that such deaths due to COVID19 that are taking place in the US due to slow vaccine coverage are quite tragic. The CDC has recently reported that around 63 percent of people in the age group of 12 years and above in the US have been given at least one dose of the vaccine. Nearly 53 percent of them have been vaccinated with full two doses, said the experts. Many experts have reported in the past that as compared to the rest of the world, the US has an abundance of shots but the demand for vaccines has reduced drastically in the recent months. Millions of doses of the vaccines are sitting on the shelf and waiting for the takers. Health experts predict that these preventable deaths will keep happening across the country. Such outbreaks will keep occurring around unvaccinated pockets in the US during fall and winter.

A professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington, Ali Mokdad has said that models show that the US will witness around 1000 deaths per day next year as well. As per the latest data, with only 33 percent fully vaccinated people in Arkansas, the state is currently witnessing a rise in COVID19 deaths and hospitalization. In King County of Seattle, only three fully vaccinated people have lost their lives in the last month. Around 95 percent of people of 62 deaths have either not been vaccinated or have had just one dose of the shot. Health experts have informed that around 90 percent of COVID19 patients who have been hospitalized have not been immunized. Dr. David Michaels, who is an epidemiologist at George Washington University’s School of Public Health, has said that stories of unvaccinated people losing their lives due to COVID19 might convince people to take the shot. People who are not very keen to take the vaccine might be motivated to take the shot in order to protect their loved ones. Many people require paid time off to get the shot and nurse if there is any side effect. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has directed hospitals and nursing homes to provide such time off to their staff.

Filed Under: Health

The Officials From State Public Health In California Start Rolling Out Digital Vaccine Verification

June 22, 2021 by Talkherald Leave a Comment

The Department of Public Health in California has started the rollout of digital vaccine verification. Though it is not a vaccine passport, it is quite close to it. The State’s Department of Public Health has launched a website that will allow users to obtain digital copies of their COVID19 vaccination records if they fill up their identity credentials. The website is called Digital COVID19 Vaccine Record Portal. The chief information officer of the state, Amy Tong has said that the portal will be used as a digital backup to the paper cards that people in the US receive when they are vaccinated for COVID19 from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Amy tong has said that people want to have digital copies of the vaccination records that they receive from the CDC; it is a great opportunity for them. It will help people living in California to save and view their own vaccine records whenever they want to. If people do not want to carry the paper card from the CDC, they can take a screenshot of their digital record from the website.

California Governor, Gavin Newsom has said that it is not a vaccine passport that businesses can use to differentiate people who are not immunized. The state of California has said that businesses that are scheduled to host large mass indoor gatherings such as large concerts or sports events need to verify that all participants or entrants either are in possession of negative COVID19 test reports or fully vaccinated. There is no national vaccine passport available to people as of now. However, the officials from the Biden government as well have said that there are no plans for such thing as of now. The officials from the US government have said that CDC cards will be used as a means for people to keep a record of their vaccine doses. It cannot be used to verify if a person is vaccinated or not. They have clarified the purpose of the CDC card for much of the country.

Some of the states in the US such as Texas, Florida, Arizona have passed executive orders that no businesses can ask for a CDC card to verify if a person has been immunized or not. As per the report, New York is the first state that has introduced an official app that is known as Excelsior Pass. Experts have informed that the app is linked to the state’s immunization database.  Health officials from New York have said that people who have been vaccinated can use this app to confirm their vaccination status to enter into large venues. Experts have said that the app efficiently works as a vaccine passport. On the other hand, the new portal from California works as a website, not as an app. California’s Chief technology officer, Rick Klau has said that the app from New York and the web portal from California are essentially the same. He has said that the new digital portal from California is quite similar in concept to what New York has unveiled with Excelsior Pass. Rick Klau has said that in the case of California’s digital portal it is an opportunity for people to get a digital record of their vaccination status.

Filed Under: Health

McDonald’s Is Latest Victim Of Cyberattack, Says Personal Data Of Customer In South Korea, Taiwan Exposed

June 18, 2021 by Talkherald Leave a Comment

McDonald’s is the latest big corporation to become a victim of a cyberattack. The fast-food giant has said that the personal information of some customers in Taiwan and South Korea was exposed after a data breach following an unauthorized activity. This is the latest incident of the global company being exposed to a cyberattack. But the burger chain said that it was quick in identifying the attack and this helped it contain ‘recent unauthorized activity on its network. Later, the company found during the investigation that only a small number of files were accessed by the cyber attackers. “Some of the files accessed had personal data of customers. The information about customers was accessed only in Taiwan and South Korea,” the company said.

The fast-food company has now said that it would make additional security measures in few other countries to avoid such incidents. McDonald’s said that it would tighten securities around files that contain information about its employees. The company also clarified that the files accessed by the attackers did not have any information related to payments. “We want to tell everyone that the no files had payment information. We are approaching regulators to notify them about the breach. We are also information customers whose data were breached,” the company said. The cyberattack on the McDonald’s comes at a time when some of the big companies have been the victim of ransomware attacks. World’s largest meat processor JBS was under cyber attack recently. The attackers had targeted the IT systems of the company following which it had to pay the equivalent of around USD 11 million to hackers.

Just a few weeks ago, hackers had targeted a major US fuel pipeline the Colonial Pipeline. Following the attack, the company’s chief executive officer Joseph Blount confirmed paying USD 4.4 million to hackers. The ransom was paid after the company had to shut its services. In both cases, hackers seized control of the systems of the company by installing illicit software. They later demanded payment to allow access to the companies. But McDonald’s said that the breach was not a ransomware attack. The company said the breach only exposed some files. Other information that was accessed is like seating capacity of restaurants, etc. The company said that it will use the findings to enhance its security measures.

Filed Under: Health

CEOs Of Major Wall Street Banks Want Employees Back In Offices As COVID-19 Restrictions Further Eased

June 17, 2021 by Talkherald Leave a Comment

New York is limping back to normalcy as the administration and Governor Andrew Cuomo has lifted all the remaining COVID-19 related restrictions implemented during the pandemic in the city. This is apparently why chief executive officers of top banks on Wall Street want their employees back to the office. Some are sending tough messages to employees who are not so keen on returning to the office. Most of these banks have made it clear that they want employees at the desk at the end of the summer. Morgan Stanley top boss Gorman went on to say that if employees fail to join the office by Labor Day, they may have to face a pay cut. “If you can go outside to eat in a restaurant, you can definitely come into the office and this is what we want. We want you in the office. Make no mistake about it,” Gorman said during the annual US Financials, Payments & CRE conference.

Gorman said unlike Goldman Sachs, the firm has yet not started dictating staff to turn up for work. It must be noted that employees of Goldman Sachs in New York are back to the office. But Gorman has sent a ‘very strong’ message to employees that they need to be at their desks in the 1585 Broadway building. “I will be extremely disappointed if employees have not found their way into the office. Then we will be having a different kind of conversation,” he said. The banking giant had allowed its 70,000 employees to work from remote locations during the pandemic. But with around 70 per cent of Big Apple adults getting vaccinated, the firm feels that it is the time when employees need to get off their couches and return to desks. Gorman, who was tested positive for COVID-19 last year, has been coming to the office at least four days a week. Gorman has clearly hinted that he would have a negative opinion for employees who were not present in the office regularly or worked from an out-of-station location. “If employees want to get paid New York rates, they need to work in offices in New York,” he added.

Gorman feels that returning to the office is extremely important for junior staff as they are under training and need to learn. “Our interns learn in office, we teach them in office. This is how we develop people.” Similarly, American Express has made it clear that employees need to return to the office as things are getting normal. American Express CEO Stephen Squeri in a memo said that employees will be required to present in the office at least three days per week. Squeri said the employees can work remotely for the remaining days. The bank has plans to start implementing the so-called ‘hybrid model’ in the United States on September 13. The firm is hopeful of implementing if fully by the end of October.

Filed Under: Business

Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman, Carlyle Near USD 34 Billion Deal To Buy Majority Stakes in Medline

June 16, 2021 by Talkherald Leave a Comment

A consortium of private equity groups has entered into an agreement to buy a majority state in medical supply group Medline. According to people familiar with the development, the deal is roughly valued at around 34 billion. This will be including debt and is being considered as one of the largest buyouts of the year. The consortium includes names like Blackstone, Carlyle, and Hellman & Friedman. The transaction was announced by Medline, the largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of healthcare supplies in the United States. The deal is expected to be finalized by the end of this year and is subject to regulatory approvals. Even after the deal, Medline will continue to be a privately held, family-led company. The Mills family will remain the largest single shareholder of the company and will continue to led the American healthcare company.

This is also going to be one of the largest buyout deals that involve a club of private equity investors since the financial crisis of 2007. It is also the second largest-ever private equity deal with the first being buyout of US energy group TXU Corporation for USD 44 billion in 2007. Blackstone has beaten other consortiums of buyout groups including the one led by Brookfield and other involving CVC and Bain Capital. So-called club deals were in trend in the years after the financial crisis. This is because of the reason that it gave private equity groups an opportunity to get open for larger transactions. They almost disappeared all of sudden after the financial crisis as credit dried up. But these transactions have once again gained traction. In 2018, Blackstone joined hands with Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Singapore state fund GIC to pull together USD 17.3 billion for its largest deal since the crisis and agreed to buy a controlling stake in the data business and financial terminals of Thomson Reuters.

Founded in the year 1966 by Jim and John Mills, the healthcare company remains one of the largest manufacturers of medical supplies. The company is currently being run under the leadership of Charles Mills. His cousin Andy is the president of the company. They took reins of Medline in 1997 from their respective fathers. Medline said that the entire senior management team of the company will remain intact. The company plans to use new resources to expand its offerings. It will also focus on new infrastructure investments to strengthen its position in the international market.

Filed Under: Business

CEO, CFO Of Electric Vehicle Startup Lordstown Motors Resign After Investigation Into preorders

June 16, 2021 by Talkherald Leave a Comment

Things are not all good at electric vehicle startup Lordstown Motors for quite some time. And now, chief executive officer Steve Burns has stepped down from the post. This is not it. Chief financial officer Julio Rodriguez too has resigned. The development comes just a few weeks after the Burn assured investors that the General Motors-backed startup has a bright future. Lead Independent Director Angela Strand has now been appointed executive chairwoman. She will oversee the day-to-day affairs of the company and transition till the company appoints permanent CEO. Strand previously worked at Burns’ previous startup. Becky Roof has been given charge of interim CFO. Roof has worked in the same position in a number of companies. The list includes Eastman Kodak and Saks Fifth Avenue. This is all happening in the backdrop of an investigation preorders investigation. It has been alleged that Burns and several other top executives lied about preorders of the electric pickup trucks.

The investigation found that there were multiple occasions when the company’s representatives lied about preorders. It was found that Lordstown Motors executives maintained that the majority of the 100,000 non-binding preorders for pickup trucks were from commercial fleets. However, the investigation found it was not the case. Moreover, it was found that the entity which had given a majority of preorders doesn’t appear to have the resources to complete the deal. “Commitments given by other companies in the list appeared not very clear to count it as pre-orders. It was also found during the investigation that the startup paid a company to drum up around 1,000 preorders. Law firm Sullivan and Cromwell had conducted the probe into the allegations. The investigation was launched in March this year after a report published by short-selling firm Hindenburg Research made a series of allegations at Lordstown Motors. The main allegation was about preorders that the company presented to misled its investors.

Lordstown Motors was founded as an offshoot of Burn’s other company Workhorse Group. The company has been facing financial problems as well. Recently announced quarter results were also not impressive enough. Then came the news that the company would have to reduce the production target of vehicles to half if it fails to get more funding. The initial production target was 2,200. The EV startup went public through a SPAC last year. Following this, the company was valued at USD 1.6 billion. Commenting on the development, the company said that it thanks to Steve Burns ‘for his passion and commitment to the company.’

Filed Under: Business

Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Reports Major Technical Glitch During Sixth Test Flight, Design Helped To Land Successfully

June 11, 2021 by Talkherald Leave a Comment

Ingenuity has suffered a navigational glitch. It is a helicopter designed by NASA. The helicopter arrived on Mars in February with the Perseverance rover. According to NASA, Ingenuity experienced a glitch during its sixth test flight. It said that the helicopter went on an excursion of about 20 degrees. The agency has been conducting test flights on the Red Planet. The helicopter has so far made five successful flights. This is the first time when a technical glitch has been reported in Ingenuity since its arrival. It has delivered promising results during the previous flights. The sixth test flight was conducted on May 22. NASA said that the helicopter was able to maintain flight and landed safely at the designated site. Ingenuity is the first helicopter sent by any space agency to Mars. NASA is the first agency to craft powered and controlled flight on another planet in the solar system.

The helicopter was above the Martian surface for approximately 54 seconds. The flight was reported at an altitude of nearly 33 feet. The helicopter is in good shape at the landing site. Ingenuity developed a glitch in the navigation camera. NASA said that it reported a loss of an image. The same issue was reported in all later navigation images. The camera didn’t register the pictures after the trouble occurred. The agency said that timestamps’ of delivered images are inaccurate. NASA said that the navigation camera saw Ingenuity wobble through the Martian air. Ingenuity’s technical team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) said this is the biggest technical malfunction the helicopter has faced so far. The team said that the system successfully muscled through the situation to touch down.

NASA said that Ingenuity started adjusting its velocity soon after it faced the issue. It tilted back and forth and managed to land safely. Just before the landing, the helicopter’s sensors indicated a sudden spike in power consumption. The JPL team said that Ingenuity landed safely because of its certain design features. It can remain unstable and tolerate significant errors. The team said that not using navigation camera images also helped it in landing safely despite malfunctioning. It said that Ingenuity ignored the camera images as it entered the final moments of flight. It stopped oscillating and leveled its attitude to descend at the designed speed. Notably, several subsystems of Ingenuity have reported an increase in power demand to keep the system flying.

Filed Under: Science

Kroger announces five USD 1 million prizes, free groceries to promote COVID-19 vaccination

June 10, 2021 by Talkherald Leave a Comment

Several companies are now joining the imitative to promote Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The latest to join the effort is Kroger. The retail company has announced that it would give USD 1 million to five customers for getting vaccinated. It will also give free groceries for a year to 50 people who have been vaccinated. The Unite States’ biggest grocery chain said that details about the Kroger Health campaign will be released in a week. The move by Kroger comes following collaboration with the White House which is pushing for speedy vaccination in the country. It must be noted that the Biden administration has set the target of getting at least 70 percent of US adults vaccinated before July 10. The target has been set by the administration to derail the pandemic which has claimed the lives of over 593,000 people in the United States.

But the target seems to be hard to achieve because of the huge hesitancy among a large number of people. This is why the Biden administration is reaching out to big companies to encourage people for receiving vaccine shots. Kroger’s chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen said that this is just another way to help the country recover from the public health crisis. “The faster we will get a larger number of people vaccinated, the sooner we will reach community immunity. This is very important as only then we can enjoy backyard barbecues, social gatherings during some special occasions and can celebrate with family friends. As an employer and partner of the community, we are contributing in the efforts to return to normal,” McMullen said.

Kroger has over 2,700 grocery stores in the United States and most of the sites have pharmacies. The retail company said that it would offer free groceries for a year to at least 10 vaccinated people. The announcement by Kroger comes days after United Airlines offer free air travel to passengers for getting vaccinated. These all are part of incentives given by companies and states to encourage more and more Americans to get immunized. The offering began with CVC giving USD 5 to people vaccinated inside its stores nationwide. The results of such initiatives were also visible at several places. Ohio reported a surge in the number of people coming for vaccination after the governor announced that five people we get a chance to win USD 1 million each for getting vaccinated. Donuts are being offered as freebies to people getting vaccinated at several locations.

Filed Under: Health

New Study Reveals Low Levels Of Testosterone In Men Might Shoot Up The Risk Of Severe COVID19 Disease

June 9, 2021 by Talkherald Leave a Comment

A small-scale new study has shown that men who are found to have low levels of testosterone might be at a higher risk of severe COVID19 disease. Many past studies have revealed that men are at a greater risk of being diagnosed with severe COVID19 disease as compared to women. However, it has been unclear why exactly it happens. Earlier, scientists have thought that high levels of testosterone might lead men to fare worse than women who are dealing with COVID19, but the findings of the new study have nullified this theory. Experts who have been involved in the new study have collected blood samples of 90 men and 62 women who have been dealing with symptoms of COVID19 and have visited Barnes -Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Eventually, all of them have tested positive for COVID19. Around 143 out of these patients have been hospitalized. Experts have collected the blood samples of patients who have been admitted to the hospital on the third, 7th, 14th, and 28th days. In these patients, they have observed the levels of testosterone, which is a type of estrogen that is known as estradiol. Estradiol is also a growth hormone that is known as insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). In women, experts have found no association between the risk of severe COVID19 and the levels of any hormones that have been measured in the study. The levels of estrogen and IGF-1 have shown no link to the severity of the disease in men. However, the levels of testosterone have been linked to the risk of a severe form of COVID19 among men.

The authors of the new study have found that men who have been admitted to the hospital with severe COVID19 disease have been found to have an average testosterone level of 52 nanograms per deciliter. As per the experts, 250 nanograms per deciliter or less is defined as low testosterone among young adult men. The study has noted that people with mild or less severe COVID19 disease have been found to have testosterone levels of 151 nanograms per deciliter. The authors of the study have adjusted other risk factors for severe COVID19 such as age, body mass index (BMI), underlying health issues, smoking, and ethnicity. However, some of these risk factors are responsible for lower levels of testosterone, said the experts. On the third day of hospitalization, the average testosterone levels of men who have been dealing with severe disease have reduced to 19 nanograms per deciliter. Nearly 37 patients who have been hospitalized have lost their lives during the study and 25 of them have been men, said the experts. The study has pointed out that low levels of testosterone are linked to greater levels of inflammation as well in the body. The lead author of the study, Dr. Sandeep Dhindsa, who is an endocrinologist at Saint Louis University, has said that men who have not been severely ill with COVID19 but are identified with low levels of testosterone have been more likely to need intensive care or intubation over a couple of days. He has said that the low level of testosterone is an effective predictor of which patients are at a higher risk of developing a severe form of the disease or being severely ill in the next three or four days.

The team of experts has found that in men who have low levels of testosterone, certain genes that are stimulated trigger the body to use the hormone more easily. The study has not been able to find if the severe form of COVID19 causes low levels of testosterone or low levels of testosterone lead to severe COVID19 disease in the first place. The authors of the study have said that health care providers have not checked their levels of testosterone prior to COVID19 infection. They have claimed that it seems that the levels of testosterone in these patients have reduced prior to their admission to the hospital. The authors have said that it is possible that prior to their infection, these patients have been dealing with lower than average levels of testosterone that have resulted in reduced muscle mass and strength, which leads to lower lung capacity. Experts have said that lower lung capacity increases the risk of requiring a ventilator. The authors of the new study have advised that health care providers should be careful with hormone therapy treatments that can reduce the levels of testosterone and shoot up the levels of estrogen in men who have tested positive for COVID19. Experts have said that they are now going to look at the link between these hormones and cardiovascular issues in people who are diagnosed with long COVID after recovery. The findings of the new study have been published in the journal called JAMA Network Open.

Filed Under: Health

United Airlines Plans To Buy 15 Commercial Supersonic Planes From Startup Boom Supersonic

June 5, 2021 by Talkherald Leave a Comment

United Airlines wants to give its passenger a new flying experience by adding a fleet of supersonic jets. The airline has said that it planning to buy 15 supersonic airplanes from Boom Supersonic. According to the airline, it is kept open the option of purchasing 35 more supersonic jets at a later stage when the start-up starts designing these planes. The startup is working on making supersonic commercial flights back in the air. However, these planes are just an artist’s drawing at the moment and even the prototype is far from to be flown. The Overture is the first commercial supersonic jet of the company and it has neither been built nor certified yet. But the company has set the target of starting passenger service by the end of this decade, 2029 to be precise. However, getting clearance from regulators is going to be the biggest hurdle for the company.

The plane that the company is working is expected to be capable of flying at double the speed of the current fleet. The plane could possibly fly at Mach 1.7 and expected to trim some trip timings to half. This means that journey from New York to London could be covered in just 3.5 hours. Typically it takes seven hours to complete the journey. United CEO Scott Kirby said that the deal would give air passengers access to a stellar flight experience. “When the most robust network of the industry in the world would combine with the vision of Boom, it would definitely give leisure as well as business travelers an amazing experience,” the United CEO said in a release while making the announcement. The airline has not revealed the terms of the sale but both the companies have expressed confidence that the move will generate immediate benefits.

Denver-based Boom Supersonic was founded in the year 2014. It has managed to raise USD 270 million in capital so far and is currently working with an employee strength of 150. The order from United Airlines validates Boom Supersonic founder and CEO Blake Scholl’s vision of bringing back supersonic flights. “This is the first purchase order for net-zero carbon supersonic airplane in the world. It is a very significant step in the direction of our mission to make the world more accessible,” Scholl said. For those who are unaware, the supersonic Concorde was in operation from 1976 until October 2003.

Filed Under: Business

After McDonald’s, White House Partners With Major Dating Apps To Encourage COVID-19 Vaccination

June 4, 2021 by Talkherald Leave a Comment

After partnering with fast-food giant McDonald’s to encourage people to get vaccinated against the COVID-19, the White House has partnered with major dating apps to motivate more Americans to get inoculated. The Biden administration is teaming up with around nine largest dating websites to achieve the target of getting 70 per cent of the adult population at least one vaccine shot by July 4. Under the partnership, these popular dating apps will offer several incentives to customers who will get the vaccine shot. Some of the dating apps that are part of this partnership are Tinder, Hinge, Chispa, Badoo, and Bumble.

These dating apps will give people with proof of vaccination access to some premium features such as super likes, like boosts, and super swipes. Users on these platforms will be able to filter matches on the basis of vaccination status. Those who want can even book vaccination appointments through the apps. According to OkCupid, there are 14 per cent more chances of receiving matches if a person is vaccinated or planning to get vaccinated. The steps are being taken to spread awareness about the vaccination and getting more and more people inoculated. Earlier, the White House had set the goal of administering 100 million shots in the first 100 days of Joe Biden as president. The White House surpassed that goal.

However, the pace of coronavirus vaccination has fallen down by almost 50 per cent since then. According to the data of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the peak of vaccination was in April. Data shows that around 48 per cent population of America has received at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. It shows that around 38 per cent or around 127 million people are fully vaccinated. Joining hands with popular dating apps is the latest in its efforts to remove hesitancy against vaccination. Apart from the popular fast-food giant, the White House has also partnered with NASCAR.

Filed Under: Health

Experts From WHO Say Long Working Hours Claim Thousands Of Lives Each Year Around The World

June 1, 2021 by Talkherald Leave a Comment

A team of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that many lives are lost around the world due to long working hours. They have said that it is happening in worsening tendency across the globe. The COVID19 pandemic might accelerate this trend even further, said the experts. The study has found that thousands of people have been dying due to long working hours each year across the world. Health experts have said that it is the first large-scale study that has been done on a global level, which has looked at the loss of life linked to long working hours. The study has found that around 745000 people have lost their lives in 2016 due to strokes and heart disease that are linked with long working hours. It is nearly a 30 percent increase in the rate of global death linked to long working hours as compared to the death toll in 2000.  The director of the Department of Environment Climate Change and Health of the WHO, Maria Neira ha said that working 55 hours or more than that per week is considered a severe health risk. She has said that with the findings of the new study, her team wants to spread awareness and promote more efforts to protect workers across the world.  The findings of the WHO study have been released in the journal Environment International.

The study has been done by the WHO in association with the International Labour Organization. Experts who have been involved in the study have said that most victims of long working hours have been men and they have been middle-aged or older. Around 72 percent of victims of long working hours have been men, said the experts. The deaths of the employees who have been working for late hours have happened much later in life. The study has found that people who are residing in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific region that comprises China, Japan, and Australia are highly affected by this trend. The study has included data from 194 countries across the world. The authors of the study have said that working for 55 hours or more is linked to a 35 percent greater risk of stroke and a 17 percent increased risk of death due to ischemic heart disease as compared to 30 to 40 hours of working per week. The study has started in 2000 and has been concluded in 2016. Therefore, the study has not included the data from the COVID19 pandemic that has hit the world in 2019. The officials from the WHO have said that an increase in remote working and economic crisis inflicted by the COVID19 pandemic might have shot up the risks.

Health experts from the World Health Organization have said that the COVID19 pandemic has accelerated the growth of some factors that can feed this worsening trend in the direction of increased working hours. As per the report from the WHO, nearly nine percent of people work for long hours around the world. Many employees from the WHO itself including the chief of the organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus have said that they have been working long hours during the COVID19 crisis. Dr. Maria Neira has said that considering the findings of the study, the UN agency should work towards improving its policy. Frank Pega, who is a technical officer in the World Health Organization, has said that authorities should consider capping working hours. It might be beneficial for workers, as it has been proven to be effective in increasing the productivity of employees. He has said that it would be a great decision to not increase working hours in times of economic crisis.

Filed Under: Health

Media Mogul Byron Allen’s Companies Sue McDonald’s For USD 10 Billion Over Advertising Practices

May 24, 2021 by Talkherald Leave a Comment

McDonald’s has found itself in the middle of a USD 10 billion lawsuit over racial discrimination. The fast-food giant has been hit with the lawsuit by two companies of Media Mogul Byron Allen. The companies accused McDonald’s of being involved in racial discrimination in its ad spending. Weather Group LLC and Entertainment Studios Networks Inc. have filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Both the companies are owned by Allen, who is Black. While Weather Group LLC owns The Weather Channel and Entertainment Studios Networks controls almost a dozen of television networks. The complaint alleged that McDonald’s violated federal and state law. It said that the fast-food giant intentionally discriminated against the company owned by Byron Allen.

The lawsuit said that McDonald’s refused to advertise on the platforms of both the companies ever since they were acquired by Allen in 2018. “This is when McDonald’s bought significant advertising on channels that are at the similar position but are owned by white people.” The lawsuit claimed that African Americans contribute to around 40 per cent of its sales. “Despite this, the company spends less than USD 5 million on television ad budget on Black-owned media.” Allen said that it is about the ‘inclusion of African American owned business in the economy of the United States.’

“McDonald’s taking billions from the African American consumers but giving almost nothing back. The fast-food is guilty of perpetuating disparity between White corporate American and Black America,” Allen said in a statement. The lawsuit was filed on the day the company announced that it would increase its national ad spending from 2 per cent to 5 per cent for Black-owned media by 2024. The company said that the ad spending will also be increased on Asian American, Hispanic, and LGBTQ-owned platforms. McDonald’s has not reacted to the lawsuit filed by the companies owned by Allen. The fast-food giant said that it will review the lawsuit and will then react accordingly.

Filed Under: Health

Cheerios Maker General Mills Purchases Tyson Foods For USD 1.2 Billion To Beef Up Pet Food Division

May 16, 2021 by Talkherald Leave a Comment

Cereal giant General Mills Inc. has decided to purchase Tyson Foods for USD 1.2 billion in cash. The move is aimed at making its pet food portfolio more diversified. The company is focusing on this division because more and more people are adopting cats and dogs. With the deal, there will be the addition of Nudges, Top Chews, and True Chews brands to the portfolio of the company. General Mills already has Blue Buffalo pet foods label. The company purchased it for USD 8 billion in 2018. The company has been looking to build a strong portfolio in the fast-growing pet foods segment ever since. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills says that it aims to make foods that are loved by people. Some of the famous brands of General Mills are Cheerios, Progresso, Annie’s, Häagen-Dazs, Yoplait, Nature Valley, and more.

The three-year-old bet paid off well for the company after the coronavirus pandemic struck last year. As the pandemic-induced lockdown forced more and more people to stay indoors, many adopted pets to help relieve stress. These people are opting for premium quality foods for their pets. According to data, animal shelters in the United States have seen a jump in the adoption rate of around 40 per cent in 2020 over the previous year. General Mills’ pet food segment president Bethany Quam said that pet food is among the high growth category because of the humanization of pets. “We have witnessed an increase in this trend during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Several pet foods company have witnessed a rise in the sale of their products. While General Mill’s pet food has registered a growth of 13 per cent for nine months ending February 28, Tyson Foods’ pet treats portfolio had sales of USD 24 million in the 12 months ended April 3. General Mills believes that the acquisition of Tyson Foods will modestly add to its net income within one year of the deal. The deal is expected to be finalized in the first quarter of the next fiscal year. As part of the deal, General Mill will also acquire a manufacturing facility in Independence, Iowa. The deal will be funded in cash and short-term borrowing. Commenting on the development, Tyson Foods said that even after being acquired by General Mills, it will continue to provide meat ingredients for the pet treats business.

Filed Under: Business

McDonald’s to raise average 10 per cent hourly wages for 36,500 employees across the United States

May 14, 2021 by Talkherald Leave a Comment

Several industries are facing labor crunch and the restaurant industry is not untouched by it. Very few people are willing to return to the work and this is apparently because of the government expanding jobless benefits. This is why restaurants are struggling to meet the surge in consumer demand. With life coming back to normal in several parts, the demand has grown manifold. Some restaurants are honestly accepting that they didn’t expect such a surge. This is apparently why the hiring process that starts in the spring and summer months has been accompanied by news of wage hikes. In a related development, fast-food giant McDonald’s has announced that it would give an average 10 per cent hourly raise to more than 36,500 employees across the United States. These employees are working at around 660 restaurants owned by McDonald’s.

The company said that it has already started to implement these increases and the process will continue over the next several months. Once fully implemented, the entry-level pay for McDonald’s employees will start at least with USD 11 to USD 17 an hour. “Shift managers would get a minimum hourly wage of USD 15,” the fast-food giant said in a statement. However, the company has clarified that the wages will not be applicable to workers employed at restaurants owned and operated by franchisees. There are around 13,000 such workers. The announcement has been made as thousands of McDonald’s workers are planning for a strike. These workers have announced that they will go on strike on May 19 across 15 cities demanding a hike in wages.

The move indicates that McDonald’s clearly understands that changes are required in order to retain as well as hire talented workers. However, Doneshia Babbitt – St. Louis-based McDonald’s worker and union leader – said that the company has done a math trick and they will continue with the plan of going on strike on May 19. Babbitt said that they will demand a USD 15 per hour wage for every worker in every restaurant of McDonald’s. Meanwhile, McDonald’s franchise in Florida last month announced that it would offer USD 50 to anyone who would interview at the location.

Filed Under: Business

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