06 Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Established September 3, 2006 hamad bin suhaim al thani chairman Opinion adel ali bin ali managing director dr hassan mohammed al ansari editor-in-chief A Ray Of Hope For The Black Women Have Pandemic’s End Though the vaccine’s efficacy rate is claimed to Been Bailing Out The be about 90%, the vast majority of people won’t get the vaccine this year n Monday, a still-divided America re- people this year. ceived some pandemic news that just While that may meet the needs of US Democrats For Years Oabout everyone can be happy about: front-line health care workers (assuming An experimental COVID-19 vaccine de- many of those doses are distributed in the veloped by drug manufacturer Pfizer and U.S.), it’s not enough to end the global BioNTech, a German pharmaceutical pandemic or justify loosening the restric- Black women like Kamala Harris, the first woman Vice President-elect, have for decades been as company, is just weeks away from filing tions on commerce and activity that have dedicated to the Democratic Party as they have been to progress and justice in America for federal approval to start producing been in effect for most of 2020. By all es- millions of doses.What’s more, prelimi- timates, it will be well into 2021 before we nary data show this vaccine is a whopping reach that point. 90 percent effective in protecting against Gov. Gavin Newsom reacted to the a COVID-19 infection without causing se- news Monday with an appropriately rious side effects. Health officials would measured tone, urging Californians to have been pleased with a COVID vaccine not use it as an excuse to let their guard that protected 70 percent of the people down during the holidays, as the state’s who took it. The Food and Drug Admin- rate of positive coronavirus test results istration requires only a 50 percent ef- is rising. “What a mistake it would be to ficacy rate.“The results are really quite read these headlines and then walk away good, I mean extraordinary,” Dr Anthony from all the extraordinary progress you Fauci, head of the Na- and others have made A file photo of Kamala Harris tional Institute of Al- to keep yourself and acknowledging the crowd while lergy and Infectious your loved ones safe,” arriving at a drive-in rally on the Diseases, said of the Newsom said. “So eve of the general election in Pfizer trial. please, please let us . (TNS) It’s not yet clear double down on the how long the vac- work that we have cine will remain ef- done.” fective in the body, In a sign of the whether it prevents contentious times, people who don’t de- however, Vice Presi- velop COVID-19 from dent Mike Pence spreading the virus to kicked up a dis- much for equality, liberty and justice for all, joining Biden’s win column, but the state’s others, and whether pute over whether Tribune News Service including the Black women, who are too often two US Senate seats are heading to a run- the virus will mutate enough over time the Trump administration’s Operation overlooked, but so often prove that they are off after Democratic candidates mounted to require a series of new vaccines, as is Warp Speed deserved any credit when he strode across the Delaware stage, the backbone of our democracy,” Harris said. strong challenges to Republican incum- the case with influenza. Still, Pfizer’s an- he tweeted, “Thanks to the public-pri- the proud and regal embodiment of Just because the length of your hair bents. The outcome is likely to determine nouncement was a hopeful development vate partnership forged by President @ what Maya Angelou once called “the ain’t long/ And they often criticize you for which party controls the Senate. at a time when one was sorely needed. realDonaldTrump, @pfizer announced hope and dream of the slave.” your skin tone/ Wanna hold your head Feelin’ great because the light’s on me/ The immediate outlook is bleak, with its Coronavirus Vaccine trial is EFFEC- She was Olivia Pope and Michelle high/ Cause you’re a pretty woman/ Get Celebrating the things that everyone told more than 237,000 Americans dead and TIVE, preventing infection in 90% of its Obama,S a supermodel in suffragette white. your runway stride home/ And keep going me/ Would never happen but God has put a second wave of the COVID-19 pan- volunteers.” The federal government has The venue speakers blared Mary J This isn’t to sell short the other parts his hands on me/ And ain’t a man alive demic well underway in most US states. funded the development of several vac- Blige’s “Work That,” and the vice president- of Harris’ heritage, the South Asian and could ever take it from me (In fact, it’s a third wave in some parts cine candidates under the Warp Speed in- elect of the United States looked like she Jamaican blood that runs proudly through Harris, who had also run for presi- of the country.) The US is seeing record itiative, but Pfizer’s was not one of them. wanted to dance, but she didn’t, leaving that her veins. dent, was Biden’s toughest critic on the numbers of new cases of COVID-19, av- “We were never part of the Warp Speed. task to all the proud Alpha Kappa Alpha so- The purpose here is to underline and campaign trail, calling out the former vice eraging about 100,000 a day. Hospitals We have never taken any money from the rority members and Howard University al- put in bold the historical, patriotic sac- president for his stance on school busing, in many states are straining under an U.S. government, or from anyone,” Pfizer ums who were soaking in the moment. rifices of Black women, from those who and his willingness to compromise with onslaught of pandemic patients, and it’s Senior Vice President Kathrin Jansen Instead, Kamala Harris, the first woman walked instead of riding the bus during segregationists in Congress. But Har- not even winter yet. told Sunday. to be a heartbeat away from the presidency, the Montgomery Bus Boycott while the ris was rewarded for her tough talk, and But don’t break out the champagne. If Pence’s boast was disingenuous, just smiled and waved, and let the song’s male church pastors got all the credit, to praised her new boss for his “audacity” to It will be months before this vaccine — or so was Jansen’s assertion. Pfizer may lyrics tell the story. the 91 percent of Black women, according pick a woman to be his partner. any of the other promising candidates in have not received federal funding for re- There’s so many-a girls/ I hear you been to an NBC exit poll, who turned out for “Every little girl watching tonight sees final clinical trials — is widely available. search and development, in part because running/ From the beautiful queen/ That Biden this election season. that this is a country of possibilities,” Har- First, the safety and efficacy of the that allowed it to conduct research more you could be becoming/ You can look at my Just like an endorsement from South ris said. “And to the children of our coun- Pfizer vaccine have to be confirmed before quickly, but it did strike a $1.95 billion palm/ And see the storm coming/ Read the Carolina Rep. James Clyburn saved Biden’s try, regardless of your gender, our country it can receive an emergency use authori- pre-purchase deal with the U.S. govern- book of my life/ And see I’ve overcome it. campaign during the primaries, the politi- has sent you a clear message: Dream with zation from the FDA and start produc- ment as part of Operation Warp Speed to Make no mistake, Harris belonged on cal groundwork laid by Stacey Abrams was ambition, lead with conviction and see tion. The company said it expects global provide 100 million doses. that stage Saturday night if for no other rea- directly responsible for putting Georgia in yourself in a way that others might not see production to reach 50 million doses by Ultimately, people don’t care about son than that this is America. the Democratic column. you, simply because they’ve never seen it December and 1.3 billion by sometime in who gets credit for this or subsequent But she belonged there in large part be- In 2018, Abrams fell just short of be- before. And we will applaud you every step 2021. But this particular vaccine requires breakthroughs. They want a safe and ef- cause of women who looked like her, dark- coming the nation’s first Black woman gov- of the way.” two shots, with three weeks in between, fective vaccine that will allow life to return skinned and caramel-complexed mothers, ernor. After that race, she founded a voting Black women, we applaud you. The na- so that means that even in the best-case to normal. And this news offers a glimmer daughters, sisters, wives and aunts who rights organization called Fair Fight that tion is in your debt. scenario there would be enough of the of hope that it will happen — but for the have for decades been as dedicated to the raised millions of dollars, registered hun- complete inoculation for just 25 million vast majority of us, not until next year. Democratic Party as they have been to pro- dreds of thousands of voters and helped re- (Leonard Greene is a columnist gress and justice in America. focus the party on Georgia. and reporter for the New (Tribune News Service) “Women who fought and sacrificed so Not only was Georgia on the verge of York Daily News) Who Wears A Mask And Why? What We Should Do? In order to decrease the transmission of COVID-19, there needs to be an emphasis on addressing reactance to masks publicans self-reporting mask wearing at Studies have also found that men are those who sometimes wear a mask, but Hana Ryan 49%. Individuals who report voting for more likely to be affected by optimism very possibly activate further reactance Tribune News Service President Donald Trump in 2016 are at bias, including with regard to COVID-19. bias and decrease adherence among those least 25% less likely to wear a mask than Perhaps the biggest contributing factor, who seldom wear a mask, severely limiting ho wears a mask? In short, not enough individuals who did not. however, is reactance bias — the human the policy’s efficacy. people. The Centers for Disease Control Why does this matter? Mask wearing is tendency to reclaim our sense of freedom In order to decrease the transmission of Wand Prevention guidelines recommend clinically proven to decrease transmission when we feel it being taken away. At the COVID-19, there needs to be an emphasis on that Americans wear face masks to limit of COVID-19. Wearing a mask decreases the start of the pandemic when rural, predomi- addressing reactance to masks. In addition transmission of COVID-19, yet Americans risk of getting COVID-19 by at least 30% and nantly Republican America was told by ur- to increased regulation encouraging mask have low compliance levels with this policy. decreases the transmission of COVID-19 to ban, predominantly Democratic America wearing, there needs to be policies of sus- While 65% of Americans self-report others by at least 65%. to wear masks, it likely sparked a reactant tained public service announcements that regularly wearing a face covering in Put in perspective, if 95% of Americans reflex. Governors refusing to issue mask are direct and localized, and that reframe stores, only 44% report that other peo- wore masks from today to Feb. 1, more than mandates due to perceived constraints on mask wearing as a way to support an indi- ple in their communities regularly wear a 62,000 lives could be saved. Moreover, liberty, the connection between lockdowns vidual’s freedom to gather and to engage in mask. Another study found that observed Goldman Sachs suggests that if everyone and mask use, and President Donald commerce — instead of being an infringe- mask wearing in public rose sharply in wore masks, the US could avoid a $1 trillion Trump’s refusal to wear a mask, all likely ment on personal rights. March and April, but has since plateaued economic loss — equivalent to 5% of nation- entrenched reactant beliefs. Research shows that in times of uncer- and hovers around 59% today. These ag- al gross domestic product — by preventing So what do we do with this informa- tainty people look to local communities for gregate numbers hide salient trends: Men, future “lockdowns.” America is predicted able to us matters. If individuals do not tion? There has been a recent push for a information. Local PSAs may mitigate reac- those without college degrees, those in ru- to face a second wave of the virus — and in know of anyone who has had COVID-19 national mask mandate. Dr Anthony Fau- tance biases associated with top-down mask ral areas and those who are younger and fact, the virus count is now increasing in a or do not see those around them wearing ci, director of the National Institute of Al- mandates and may activate availability bias- have fewer preexisting medical conditions majority of states. Comprehensive scientific masks, they are less likely to wear a mask lergy and Infectious Diseases, suggested a es by suggesting that COVID-19 is a present are less likely to report wearing a mask. models suggest a national winter surge in themselves. Behavioral economics also national mask mandate last month. While problem for the local community. Another major predictor of mask wear- cases, leading to 2,250 deaths a day by mid- describes optimism bias, which is particu- a national mask mandate might be the best ing is political party; Democrats are more January, unless behaviors change. larly common among younger populations policy tool from a public health perspec- (Hana Ryan is a graduate student likely to wear masks than Republicans So, if masks can offer so much benefit, who overestimate the probability of posi- tive, behavioral economics suggests that at Johns Hopkins University in the (76% versus 53%), even after controlling why aren’t people wearing them? Well, tive events, such as not becoming seriously its effects will be limited unless reactance School of Advanced International for differences in COVID-19 impacts in firstly, behavioral economics holds that the ill, and underestimate the probability of bias is addressed. A blanket mask mandate Studies, where she focuses on their communities, with conservative Re- perceived relevance of information avail- negative events, like death. would likely increase adherence among economic policy)

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