Covid-19

COVID-19 vaccines boost consumer confidence across the board, IBM study finds

IBM’s consumer survey released Thursday adds to the growing amount of data showing optimism as the world slowly emerges from the pandemic. The study shows that global consumer confidence is high, “with more than half of respondents surveyed saying that they expect COVID-19 vaccines to keep them protected,” the company said. According to IBM’s study […]

New York deploys COVID-19 passport app built on blockchain

New York City announced earlier this week the deployment of a new COVID-19 passport built on IBM’s blockchain-based health pass technology, as businesses in the U.S. are starting to request proof of vaccination or negative PCR for entry. The COVID-19 passport app, called Excelsior Pass, is a free and voluntary platform developed in partnership with […]

UK variant hunters lead global race to stay ahead of COVID

On March 4, 2020, when there were just 84 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.K., professor Sharon Peacock recognized that the country needed to expand its capacity to analyze the genetic makeup of the virus. The Cambridge University microbiologist understood that genomic sequencing would be crucial in tracking the disease, controlling outbreaks and developing […]

WeWork stock offer comes amid doubtful need for office space

Uncertainty about demand for office space in a global pandemic is a big risk that investors will have to weigh as WeWork makes a second run at a public stock offering. A year after the novel coronavirus turned office towers into ghost towns worldwide, the embattled communal work space company said Friday it would merge […]

'It's exhausting.' A year of distance learning wears thin

At first, many schools announced it would last only a couple weeks. A year later, the unplanned experiment with distance learning continues for thousands of students who have yet to set foot back in classrooms. Comfortable homes and private tutors have made it easier for those with access. Expectations are higher at some schools than […]

Biden immediately begins selling virus aid plan to public

The White House began highlighting the $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill immediately after it gained final congressional approval on Wednesday, wasting no time in selling the public on President Joe Biden’s first legislative victory. The West Wing began an ambitious campaign to showcase the bill’s contents while looking to build momentum for the next, perhaps […]

Why the pandemic left long-term scars on global job market

Esther Montanez’s housecleaning job at the Hilton Back Bay in Boston was a lifeline for her, a 31-year-old single mother with a 5-year-old son. The pay was steady and solid — enough to pay her bills and still have money left over to sock away savings for her child. But when the pandemic slammed the […]

China gives approval for broader use of Sinovac vaccine

China has given broader approval for the domestic-made Sinovac coronavirus vaccine, expanding those who can receive it beyond the high-risk and priority groups already allowed under an emergency clearance. Regulators gave conditional approval for Sinovac Biotech Ltd’s shot, CoronaVac, on Friday, clearing the way for general use, The National Medical Products Administration announced in a […]

The gaming industry’s widespread success in the era of Covid-19

Gaming has changed significantly over the years; and massively so during the novel COVID-19 pandemic. Not many industries can look back at 2020, wipe the blood, sweat, and tears off their faces and say “okay, the worst is behind us.” Even less so, are the industries that didn’t just survive during a bustling year full […]

India OKs AstraZeneca and locally made COVID-19 vaccines

India authorized two COVID-19 vaccines on Sunday, paving the way for a huge inoculation program to stem the coronavirus pandemic in the world’s second-most populous country. The country’s drugs regulator gave emergency authorization for the vaccine developed by Oxford University and U.K.-based drugmaker AstraZeneca, and another developed by the Indian company Bharat Biotech. Drugs Controller […]