AstraZeneca may pair well with a jab from Pfizer or Moderna, leading one country to change its vaccine recommendations. Plus, one state has ended a 15-month-long state of emergency as infection rates fall.
Many people in Japan aren’t happy to see the Tokyo Games moving forward, as the country battles a 4th wave of COVID-19, but the International Olympic Committee insists the Games will happen.
The U.S. government has purchased enough vaccines to ensure a continuous supply of doses through the start of 2022, Reuters reported. This new order is for 200 million doses of the Moderna vaccine, which could include normal doses or booster shots if they are needed down the road. With this most recent order, the U.S. has now ordered 500 million doses from Moderna, Reuters said. As of Monday, the company has supplied the U.S. with 217 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine.
Communities with lower vaccination rates are at a high risk for the dangerous COVID-19 variants that are spreading across the U.S.,experts warn. "I'm very unconcerned for people who have been vaccinated, and I'm more concerned for people who have not been vaccinated and the communities that are largely unvaccinated," Andy Slavitt, former White House senior adviser for the Biden administration's Covid-19 response, said. According to Slavitt, people living in locations that have few inoculated community members are more susceptible to COVID-19 infections, including infections of the delta variant, than those living in areas with a high percentage of vaccinated individuals, CNN reported. Slavitt voiced concerns especially regarding the delta variant, which he says is like “COVID on steroids,” and said “in those communities, a Covid that spreads twice as fast is not a good thing," Slavitt said. The delta variant currently accounts for about 10% of all COVID-19 cases in the U.S.
A five-year-old girl has been reunited with her parents after she was stuck in India for 18 months, the BBC reported. The girl, Johannah, was visiting her grandparents in India and was unable to return to her home country of Australia before its borders closed due the pandemic. Her parents were unable to get Johannah home, as cancelled flights and unaccompanied minor rules prevented her from returning home. Johannah was far from the only Australian stuck in India – roughly 10,500 Australians, including 203 minors, have been stranded in India. "I could see how much my child missed me, she was just clinging onto me - even now she doesn't leave me,” Johannah’s mother said. “It's been a long wait."
Random testing of virus samples has determined that the highly infectious and potentially more deadly Delta variant has become dominant in much of southwest Missouri,The Associated Press reported. The variant is blamed for an increase in case numbers and hospitalizations in the region. According to doctors, many of the newly hospitalized patients are young, healthy adults and pregnant women. Officials are urging people in the area to get their vaccines – just 37% of Missouri’s population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. “It’s hard for this virus to move through a population if the population has some immunity against it,” Kendra Findley, the administrator of community health and epidemiology with Greene County said to the AP. “Right now, we just don’t have that immunity, and it’s just burning through the population.”
A pair of young doctors who put off their wedding to help fight the coronavirus pandemic ended up falling sick themselves,The Associated Press reported. David Vallejo and Mavelin Bonilla suspended their wedding plans last May to help save lives. However, Bonilla and Vallejo caught the virus in January, with Vallejo falling seriously ill and being moved into the ICU with a 10% chance of survival. “I never felt more scared,” Vallejo said. Vallejo survived his battle with the coronavirus, but is still undergoing speech and physical therapy in order to fully recover. The couple hopes to finally get married in late June.
Bioinicia, a Spanish manufacturer, says it has developed the first biodegradable face masks, Bloomberg reported. Masks have become a frequently littered item during the pandemic, with more than 1.5 billion masks estimated to have entered the ocean in 2020. A biodegradable face mask that offers significant protection from the coronavirus could help reduce waste. “We have created functional as well as biodegradable face masks, and in that aspect, we are the only one,” Bioincia founder Jose Lagaron said to Bloomberg. Traditional masks can take up to 450 years to fully break down, whereas biodegradable masks will quickly and organically decay. Watch the video below for more.
With more than 148 million Americans fully vaccinated, the rate of new infections across the country continues to trend downward. The seven-day average is around 11,500, according to the CDC, and has been steadily dropping since mid-April. U.S. health officials reported just 7,308 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday with Texas being the only state to tally more than 1,000 new infections, according to Johns Hopkins University. Brazil reported more cases than any other country on Friday with nearly 99,000 new infections. Watch the video below for more details on the spread of the virus around the world:
Norway is set to loosen coronavirus restrictions on Sunday, Reuters reported. Beginning Sunday, bars and restaurants will no longer have to close at midnight and more spectators will be permitted at sports arenas. Norwegians will be allowed to receive up to 20 guests in their homes, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said. "Norway is on track and we're ready for step three," Solberg said at a press conference. The country reported about 1,200 new cases during the week of June 13 -- the lowest it’s been in eight months.
New Jersey is quickly vaccinating its citizens, meeting its goal of vaccinating more than 4.7 million people two weeks before its target date of June 30, CNBC reported. About 77% of New Jersey adults have received at least one vaccine dose, putting the state ahead of Joe Biden’s goal of getting 70% of adults vaccinated by July 4. New Jersey offered various incentives to get its residents vaccinated, including free alcoholic beverages, state park passes and dinner with the governor. New Jersey has recorded more than 1 million coronavirus cases and 26,000 coronavirus-related deaths since March 2020.
Boston Medical Center, which once served nearly 230 patients with the coronavirus, recorded zero cases this week, Bloomberg reported Friday. Marin County, California, announced Tuesday that there were no COVID-19 patients in its local hospitals. The COVID-19 unit in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, recorded zero cases in 36 hours earlier this week. With more than 50% of Americans vaccinated, many COVID-19 healthcare operations are “cautious[ly] downshifting,” Bloomberg reported. “We’ve had a rough year, and it’s going to take some time to recover from that,” said epidemiologist Cassandra Pierre.
Starting June 26, people in Spain will no longer be obligated to wear masks outdoors, Prime Minister Pedro Sanches said Friday. The announcement comes after France’s decision to end mandatory mask-wearing outdoors with the falling infection rates, though concerns around the Delta variant remain, according to Reuters. “This weekend will be the last one with masks in outdoor spaces because the next weekend we will no longer wear them,” Sanchez said at an event in Barcelona.
As coronavirus restrictions across the country are relaxed, more and more people are gradually resuming activities that they gave up when the pandemic hit, including workout routines. According to CNBC, attendance at gyms in the U.S. is around 83% of where it was in January 2020. However, Jefferies Financial Group believes that the pandemic has opened the door for new gym experiences that continue to offer a virtual component. “We believe that people will employ a hybrid approach, using the plethora of digital concepts and traditional gym experience,” Jefferies analyst Randy Konik told CNBC. “Gyms that champion this model will emerge as winners in years to come.”
Nine U.S. states will see the end of enhanced employment benefits on Saturday, which will result in over 440,000 out-of-work residents being cut off from the aid. Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming are all bringing their enhanced jobless benefits to an end over the weekend. Iowa, Mississippi and Missouri have already ended theirs. The governors of the states ending enhanced benefits say they are no longer needed as the economy begins to recover, but some advocates have taken issue with states ending the pandemic-era benefits already, CBS News reported. "We are still in a public health emergency, and vaccines aren't available to everybody," said Luke Pardue, economist at payroll provider Gusto. Around 14.8 million workers rely on receiving unemployment benefits of some sort as their main income source, and over six million of those workers receive Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. "It means homelessness if I can't get a job almost immediately," Tony Ruzicka, 40, an out-of-work tech worker in Omaha, Nebraska, said. "I just wish that all governors would let things play out the way it's supposed to, so that way we can get things back under control."
Canadians seeking to travel the world (or just visit the United States) will need to wait another month. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that a ban on non-essential travel to the United States and the rest of the world will continue through at least July 21, Reuters reported. Trudeau had previously stated that the border would be shut until 75% of Canadians receive at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine and 20% receive both shots. The first target has been exceeded, but just 3% of Canadians have received a second dose. The continued ban on non-essential travel drew the ire of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce – a Canadian group that advocates for businesses. "I'm disappointed ... all of the science would say we should be moving ahead to reopen the border. We don't even have a plan at this point," said Perrin Beatty, the group's president and chief executive.
A health care worker prepares a dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination campaign, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Sunday, June 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
As June kicked off, Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization said that people getting the AstraZeneca vaccine for their first jab had the option to get Pfizer or Moderna for their second jab. The committee updated this guidance on Thursday, saying that it was preferred to follow up AstraZeneca with Pfizer or Moderna, The Associated Press said. “New evidence is starting to emerge suggesting immune responses are better when a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine is followed by an mRNA vaccine as a second dose,″ said Dr. Shelley Deeks, the vice-chair of the committee. She added that anyone that has already received two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine should not worry as they are still protected. Nearly 25 million Canadians have had at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, the AP said.
As the coronavirus swept across the U.S. in March 2020, Ohio was one of many states across the country to declare a state of emergency. After 15 months, Gov. Mike DeWine announced that the state of emergency is ending, NBC 4 reported. “Our numbers are down and that is being driven by people who are vaccinated,” DeWine said. As of Thursday, the vaccination rate in Ohio was 47% among all age groups and nearly 58% among adults. However, DeWine cautioned that the pandemic is not over yet and urged everyone to get vaccinated.
Nearly 85% of adults in Israel have been vaccinated, and with some of the country’s vaccines approaching their expiration date, it is sending around 1 million doses to the Palestinian Authority (PA), The Associated Press reported. The vaccines are part of an exchange in which Israel will send the PA 1 million doses now, and when the PA receives shipments of vaccines later this year, they will send some back to Israel. The vaccines in the exchange are produced by Pfizer, meaning that the 1 million doses could allow 500,000 people to be fully vaccinated. “We will continue to find effective ways to cooperate for the benefit of people in the region,” Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said after the vaccine exchange was announced.
New infections are trending upward across the U.K. as the delta variant of the coronavirus spreads, accounting for more than 90% of new cases across the country. With this becoming the dominant strain, Italy has announced new travel restrictions for U.K. travelers arriving in the country. Starting on Monday, anyone traveling from the U.K. to Italy must quarantine for five days and take a COVID-19 test, The Associated Press said. People traveling from the United States can still travel to Italy without entering quarantine if they are fully vaccinated or test negative for the virus before traveling.
The coronavirus positivity rate in the U.S. hit 1.9% Friday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. New cases are rising in California, Texas, Missouri, Colorado and New York, according to the university’s daily COVID-19 update. Internationally, new cases are rising in Brazil, India, Colombia and Argentina. The U.S. recorded an additional 10,399 cases.
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The world reached a grim milestone in the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday when the cumulative death toll reached 4 million, Reuters reported. Earlier this week, the United States reported 600,000 deaths, the highest of any country in the world. Around half of all coronavirus-related fatalities in the world have been reported in just five countries, Reuters said, which includes the U.S., Brazil, India, Russia and Mexico. However, some health officials believe that the death toll is undercounted. Watch the video below for more details about the virus around the globe:
The CDC lowered its health advisory on cruise travel from level 4 to level 3, which encourages travelers to be fully vaccinated before traveling, CNN reported Thursday. Unvaccinated people should continue to avoid cruising, according to the CDC. “It is especially important that people who are not fully vaccinated with an increased risk of severe illness avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises," the CDC said in its updated notice.
The U.S. will spend $3.2 billion on the efforts to speed up development of antiviral pills that would treat COVID-19 and other viruses that could lead to future pandemics, The Associated Press reported. According to White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, the program will speed up what is already in movement for COVID-19 treatments, but also work ahead to create treatments for other viruses that could lead to future deadly pandemics, such as Ebola, dengue, West Nile and Middle East respiratory syndrome. “There are few treatments that exist for many of the viruses that have pandemic potential,” he said. The drugs currently available in the U.S. to treat COVID-19 have mainly helped patients avoid hospitalizations and shortened recovery times, but they have not shown to be beneficial to patients already hospitalized with serious illness. Pfizer, Roche and AstraZeneca are currently testing antiviral pills that could potentially be used as treatment for the virus in the future.
Over 70% of adults in 15 states have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, recent data from the CDC reveals. Vermont, Massachusetts and Hawaii have all administered at least one dose to over 80% of their adult populations, and Vermont has the highest percent of of adults who have received at least one shot at 83.6%, Axios reports. Twenty-nine states have administered one or more doses to at least 60% of their population so far. Despite the progress in vaccinations among many states, Wyoming, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama still have yet to administer at least one dose in 50% of their adult populations.
Despite being vaccinated against COVID-19 with the Sinovac vaccine, more than 350 Indonesian doctors have tested positive for the coronavirus, with dozens hospitalized, Reuters reported. Indonesia is currently battling a rise in cases due to the highly contagious Delta variant. Most of the infected workers were asymptomatic, but there are concerns that some vaccines may be less effective against infectious variants. "The majority of healthcare workers in Indonesia got Sinovac, and we still don't know yet how effective it is in the real world against the Delta variant," said Dicky Budiman, an epidemiologist at Australia's Griffith University. The World Health Organization approved Sinovac in June after determining it was 51% successful in preventing symptomatic disease and 100% effective in preventing severe COVID-19.
The delta COVID-19 variant has now spread to more than 80 countries, and it has continued to mutate, World Health Organization officials said Wednesday. In addition to this, The Who is also tracking recent reports of a “delta plus” variant, according to CNBC. “What I think this means is that there is an additional mutation that has been identified,” Maria Van Kerkhove, The Who’s COVID-19 technical lead, told CNBC. “In some of the delta variants we’ve seen one less mutation or one deletion instead of an additional, so we’re looking at all of it.” On Tuesday, The Who had also added another COVID-19 mutation, dubbed the lambda variant, to its growing list of variants of interest. CNBC reported that the lambda variant has been detected by scientists in South America, including Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Argentina.
Dr. Kedar Toraskar checks the scan report of a COVID-19 patient at the Mumbai Central Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai, India, June 4, 2021. The recent coronavirus surge in India affected young people on a scale his team of critical care doctors hadn’t previously seen. Toraskar and his team of ICU doctors are still drained from the incredibly challenging last few months. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)
The Delta variant of the coronavirus, first discovered in India, may present with different symptoms than other strains of COVID-19, CNBC reported. The main symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, persistent cough and a loss of taste or smell, though the Delta variant seems to be provoking new symptoms. According to a U.K. based study, the main symptoms reported from the Delta variant are headache, sore throat, runny nose and fever, and a "funny off feeling" similar to a bad cold. “Covid is also acting differently now,” said Tim Spencer, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London. The Delta variant is expected to become the dominant strain of coronavirus in the U.S. over the summer, and the variant’s quick spread in the U.K. has worried some doctors. “We cannot let that happen in the United States,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden.
The Phoenix Suns are currently waiting to see who they will play in the Western Conference Finals of the NBA playoffs, but they are also waiting to see when they will have a star player return to the lineup. Point guard Chris Paul is out ‘indefinitely’ due to the league’s coronavirus health and safety protocols, ESPN reported. As a result, it is unclear if Paul will be able to return to the lineup for the first game of the next series. "Thankfully we've put ourselves in a position where we have time," coach Monty Williams said. Paul’s status will be re-evaluated on Saturday, ESPN reported. "We've had obstacles all season long and gotten through a lot of stuff,” Williams added. “You look forward to these challenges, you embrace them, and you move forward."
The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits rose last week for the first time since April despite a steady economic rebound from the pandemic, The Associated Press reported Thursday. Jobless claims increased to 412,000 -- 37,000 more than the week before, according to the Labor Department. AnnElizabeth Konkel, economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab, told the AP that the rise is not concerning yet. “The big picture is that while we are not back to a ‘normal’ level yet of initial claims, they are no longer astronomically high,” Konkel said.
Tokyo's state of emergency that was first issued in late April due to COVID-19 will be lifted on Sunday, June 20, AFP reported. "The number of infections nationwide has been declining since mid-May and the situation in terms of hospital beds is steadily improving,” Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said. Although the state of emergency is ending, new restrictions could be issued that may limit fans at the Summer Olympics, which is set to begin on July 23. With the uncertainty still in the air, Olympic organizers have stopped selling tickets for events and may use a lottery system to determine who can attend events, AFP said. Only around 6% of Japan’s population has been vaccinated, but more than 80% of the athletes competing in the Olympics have been vaccinated.
“If it wasn’t for this hospital, I probably, you know, I wouldn’t be here,” John Micklus told Bloomberg as he recalled his fight against COVID-19. Micklus was suffering from a severe case of COVID-19 that did extensive damage to his lungs. Doctors at the University of Maryland Medical Center ultimately conducted a rare double-lung transplant, something they have only done two times in patients following a battle against the virus. Micklus is doing much better and still gets emotional every time that he talks about the experience. “I just thank everybody for what they’ve done for me,” Micklus said. “It’s an opportunity to live again.” Watch the video below to hear Micklus' story:
Nearly 12,500 new infections were tallied across the U.S. on Wednesday, sending the cumulative total of COVID-19 cases in the country to nearly 33.5 million, according to data gathered by Johns Hopkins University. This is right around the seven-day average of 12,192, which is the lowest seven-day average in the U.S. since March 25, 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Meanwhile, more than 175 million people across the U.S. have received at least one dose of a vaccine, which is nearly 53% of the country’s entire population.
NFL players who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 will not be required to social distance or wear masks during training camp and the preseason, according to the league’s updated coronavirus protocol. Under the new plan, which was released Wednesday, vaccinated players will not have to undergo COVID-19 testing or quarantine after exposure during travel and in the club facility, per the protocol. Masks are required for unvaccinated players during travel and at the club facility, according to the plan.
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The launch of Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas was delayed after eight crew members tested positive for COVID-19, NPR reported Wednesday. All 1,400 crew members, who had all been vaccinated on June 4, will quarantine. Cases bubbled up among staff before their vaccinations were considered fully effective, according to NPR. The ship was set to make its debut sail on July 3 but it’s now delayed until July 31. Under the CDC’s latest guidelines, cruise ships can operate “under near-normal conditions,” so long as a large portion of passengers and crew are fully vaccinated, NPR reported.
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott signed a new order on Wednesday that spells an end to all of the coronavirus restrictions across the state, including the state’s mask mandate, social distancing guidelines and capacity limits for indoor gatherings, ABC News reported. More than 80% of the state’s population has had at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, one of the factors that played into Scott’s decision. This is the highest vaccination rate per capita across the entire U.S., according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Vermont has been a leader throughout this pandemic,” Scott said in a Tweet after signing the order. “Our work continues, but Vermonters can be proud of what they've done.” Since the start of June, Vermont has only reported 119 new infections and one fatality, according to data gathered by Johns Hopkins University.
The largest Major League Baseball crowd since the beginning of the pandemic packed into Dodgers Stadium on Tuesday night to watch the Los Angeles Dodgers defeat the Philadelphia Phillies. Over 52,000 tickets were sold as the team dubbed the game “Reopening Day,” according to NBC News. The game was the first sports contest to be played in California since the state lifted all mandates on social distancing and facility capacities. Mask wearing is also long longer required for vaccinated individuals. "It was a jolt," Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts said. "For them to get here and hope that your superstar player performs (with a) go-ahead homer, it was big jolt. The dugout felt it, the fans felt it."
Nearly 900 New Yorkers received expired Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses last week at a vaccination site in Times Square, CBS New York reported Wednesday. The state’s health department is recommending that those who received expired doses schedule another Pfizer shot. ATC Vaccination Services, the company that administered the vaccines, provided a statement to the news station that apologized for the “inconvenience.” The company said that they had been advised that “there is no danger from the vaccine they received.”
The European Union added the U.S.to its safe travel list Wednesday, which makes it easier for American citizens to vacation in the union’s member states, CNBC reported. Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Lebanon, Macau and Hong Kong were also added to the list. In April, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told The New York Times that fully vaccinated Americans would be able to visit in the summer. The latest recommendation could take von der Leyen’s sentiment further in allowing American tourists to visit with just one negative coronavirus test. Individual E.U. countries can decide how to implement the guidelines.
FILE - In this March 26, 2021 file photo, passengers walk past a Southwest Airlines plane at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)
Clinical trial data has shown that the drug Regeneron can reduce deaths in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, a promising find in the search for available treatments that can help later in the progression of the virus, The New York Times reported. According to the data, the drug’s antibody treatment can reduce the risk of death in patients with an immune system that can’t mount a natural response to the virus. Makers of the drug plan to seek permission from the Food and Drug Administration to allow Regeneron to be given to such patients, which would give doctors another weapon to help battle the virus in the most directly-affected patients. According to the Times, data from the trial showed that patients who received the drug had a 20% lower risk of death after four weeks than patients that received standard care.
The Taj Mahal, India’s top tourist attraction, reopened after closing two months agodue to a spike in coronavirus cases, AFP reported Wednesday. Cases have since declined and some major cities in India have eased COVID-19 restrictions. The historical site reopens to sunny skies and temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. There is a risk for thunderstorms into the weekend, while Saturday could bring a high of 101 degrees F.
Athletes and officials will face penalties ranging from warnings to expulsions for violating COVID-19 protocols, Bloomberg reported. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has released a “Playbook” that covers the COVID-19 restrictions athletes, officials and media members must follow. According to the Playbook, all athletes and officials will be assigned COVID-19 liaison officers to help implement COVID-19 countermeasures. Additionally, a disciplinary committee will be formed to enforce the IOC’s COVID-19 rules. Sanctions for rule violations include warnings, monetary punishments. disqualification from events and expulsion. Watch the video below for more.
A 77-pound mask was placed on a statue of Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy, this week in Japan as the country continues to wrestle with the pandemic. The mask was placed on the 187-foot tall statue by four workers, who took three hours to carry the massive pink mask up the statue. The statue is located at the Houkokuji Aizu Betsuin temple in Fukushima Prefecture, according to Reuters, and was built 33 years ago with an inner staircase for visitors to climb up. It was damaged in February by an earthquake and required restoration, which is when workers came up with the idea for the face mask, temple manager Takaomi Horigane told Reuters. According to data from Johns Hopkins University, Japan has totaled 779,687 total cases of the coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic.
For the past two weeks, the U.S. COVID-19 positivity rate has floated between 1.8% to 2.2%, dropping back down to 2.1% on Tuesday with the country recording 11,304 new cases. The nation also saw 339 new coronavirus-related fatalities, its 19th consecutive day with fewer than 1,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. As of Wednesday morning, the U.S. has recorded 600,287 total fatalities, the most of any country in the world. For a broader look at figures from around the globe, watch the video below.
The European Union added the U.S.to its safe travel list Wednesday, which makes it easier for American citizens to vacation in the union’s member states, CNBC reported. Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Lebanon, Macau and Hong Kong were also added to the list. In April, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told The New York Times that fully vaccinated Americans would be able to visit in the summer. The latest recommendation could take von der Leyen’s sentiment further in allowing American tourists to visit with just one negative coronavirus test. Individual E.U. countries can decide how to implement the guidelines.
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