#covid variant in south africa

[ocean-sailor]

Update:

Canadian Covid-19 Forecast: Feb 3 - Feb 16, 2024 🦠

See detailed provincial forecasts - pages 7-10 - here: 🦠🦠

[xtruss]

CDC Update After COVID Variant BA.2.86 Detected in U.S.

— August 24, 2023 | Newsweek | By Pandora Dewan, Science Reporter

A man holding up a COVID-19 test. The CDC has issued a warning about new SARS-CoV-2 variant BA.2.86. Daria Nipot/Getty

There have been numerous variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus so far, including the highly transmissible Omicron strain that made headlines in 2022. However, according to the CDC, the new BA.2.86 has even more additional mutations compared with previously detected Omicron variants.

The large number of mutations raises concerns that the new variant may be more effective at evading our existing immunity to the virus, either through vaccinations or previous infections. However, it is too soon to say how it will impact global immunity, as samples are not yet broadly available for lab-based antibody testing.

"Nearly all the U.S. population has antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 from vaccination, previous infection, or both, and it is likely that these antibodies will continue to provide some protection against severe disease from this variant," the CDC said. "This is an area of ongoing scientific investigation."

Only nine cases of the new strain have been confirmed so far: three in Denmark; two in South Africa; one in Israel; two in the U.S.; and one in the U.K. However, the variant has also been detected in U.S. waste-water samples.

With such a small number of confirmed cases, it is too soon to know how transmissible the new variant is, although its detection across multiple continents does indicate some degree of transmissibility.

The severity of disease caused by BA.2.86 is also unclear. "At this time, locations where this variant have been detected have not experienced increases in transmission indicators (e.g., cases, emergency department visits) or hospitalizations out of proportion to those seen in neighboring locations," the CDC said. "However, it is early in the emergence of this variant and too soon to evaluate impacts based on these indicators."

The good news is that, from what we know so far, the existing detection tests and medications used to treat COVID-19 appear to be effective against this new variant.

There are a lot of unknowns surrounding BA.2.86, but to stay safe, the CDC recommends the following actions:

Stay home if you are sick.

Get tested for COVID-19 if you feel flu-like symptoms.

Improve ventilation.

Wash your hands.

Get vaccinations as recommended by your health provider.

— Pandora Dewan is a Newsweek Science Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on science, health and technology. Pandora joined Newsweek in 2022 and previously worked as the Head of Content for the climate change education start-up, ClimateScience and as a Freelance writer for content creators such as Dr Karan Rajan and Thoughty2. She is a graduate in Biological Sciences from the University of Oxford.

[nationinsightfeed]

Omicron: What to Know About the New COVID Variant XBB1-16

Hey everyone,

I just came across an article on Nation Insight Feed that I think is really important to share. It's about the new COVID-19 variant called Omicron, also known as XBB1-16. According to the article, this variant is causing concern among health officials because it has a high number of mutations that could make it more transmissible and potentially more resistant to vaccines.

If you want to stay informed about this new variant, I highly recommend reading the article on Nation Insight Feed. It breaks down what we know so far about Omicron, including its origins, symptoms, and how it differs from previous variants. It also includes information on what steps you can take to protect yourself and others.

Here's the link to the article: https://www.nationinsightfeed.com/2023/05/omicron-what-to-know-about-the-new-covid-variant-xbb1-16-204598.html

Stay safe and stay informed!

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive

By Tulio de Oliveira

Dr. Oliveira is the director of the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation in South Africa.

As a virus scientist in South Africa, I’ve been watching with dread as H5N1 bird flu spreads among animals in the United States. The pathogen poses a serious pandemic threat and has been detected in over 500 dairy herds in 15 states — which is probably an undercount. And yet, the U.S. response appears inadequate and slow, with too few genomic sequences of H5N1 cases in farm animals made publicly available for scientific review.

Failure to control H5N1 among American livestock could have global consequences, and this demands urgent attention. The United States has done little to reassure the world that it has the outbreak contained.

The recent infection of a pig at a farm in Oregon is especially concerning as pigs are known to be “mixing bowls” for influenza viruses. Pigs can be infected by both avian and human influenza viruses, creating a risk for the viruses to exchange genetic material and potentially speed up adaptation for human transmission. The H1N1 pandemic in 2009 was created and spread initially by pigs. Beyond the risks to its own citizens (there are over 45 cases of people in the United States getting the virus in 2024), the United States should remember that the country where a pandemic emerges can be accused of not doing enough to control it. We still hear how China did not do enough to stop the Covid-19 pandemic. None of us would want a new pandemic labeled the “American virus,” as this could be very damaging for the United States’ reputation and economy.

The United States should learn from how the global south responds to infectious diseases. Those of us working in the region have a good track record of responding to epidemics and emerging pandemics, and can help the United States identify new virus strains and offer insights into how to control H5N1. This knowledge has not come easily or without suffering; it has developed from decades of dealing with deadly diseases. We’ve learned one simple lesson: You need to learn your enemy as quickly as possible in order to fight it.

We did this during Covid. In November 2021, my colleagues and I, and others in Botswana, discovered the Omicron variant. We quickly and publicly warned the world that it could rapidly spread. This kind of transparency is not always easy because it can come at large economic cost. For example, after we shared our Omicron discovery, countries around the world imposed travel bans on South Africa ahead of December holidays, spurring backlash. Our team received death threats, and we needed security for our labs. One estimate suggests South Africa lost $63 million in canceled bookings from December to March.

But it was the right thing to do. That’s why it’s so frustrating that genomic sequences of H5N1 animal cases in the United States are not quickly made available. Sharing genomes of virus samples immediately is crucial for understanding the threat and giving the world time to prepare, including developing antivirals and vaccines. Rwanda, for example, was recently bold enough to go public with the detection of the deadly Marburg virus. Health responders there worked around the clock, and within about a month, they seem to have controlled the outbreak. Other countries in Africa have similarly and openly shared data about the spread of Mpox.

I’ve worked for decades with American scientists, and this summer I toured many of the country’s top scientific research institutions and was a speaker at one of its largest annual virology meetings. I know how flabbergasted many American scientists are about the country’s slow response to the H5N1. One highly respected American virologist, David O’Connor, told me that “it seems that the United States is addicted to gambling with H5N1. But if you gamble long enough, the virus may hit a jackpot.” A jackpot for the virus would fuel a global pandemic.

It is time to respond forcefully to this threat. The world’s scientists are here to help, in the same way as the United States has helped us so many times. Countries need to continue to support one another; we need an international scientific and medical force that can work together to respond to new epidemics and potential pandemics, including diagnosing and genetically analyzing every single sample of H5N1.

I understand that it’s not easy to persuade businesses, such as the meat and dairy industries, to allow the testing of all of their animals and staffs, and to make that data public quickly. But I also know that in the end, doing so protects lives, lessens economic damage and creates a safer world.

The world cannot afford to gamble with this virus, letting it spread in animals and hoping it never sparks a serious outbreak — or crossing our fingers that its effects won’t be serious in people. Time will tell. I hope we are not watching the start of a new pandemic unfold, with both the American and the international communities burying our heads in the sand rather than confronting potential danger.

[mariacallous]

It’s scariant season—again.

A new offshoot of Omicron, BA.2.86—nicknamed Pirola—has popped up in Israel, the US, South Africa, and the UK after it was first recorded in Denmark in late July. Pirola initially set off alarm bells because it was spotted in four countries at the same time—and because, having majorly curtailed our viral surveillance systems, we don’t know how long it’s been making the rounds. Plus, the sheer number of mutations it has was reason enough to be spooked—BA.2.86 boasts more than 30 new mutations, compared to the most recently dominant variant, XBB.1.5.

“The only other time we’ve seen such a large genetic shift was the initial transition from Delta to Omicron, which led to the most hospitalizations and the most deaths of any surge in the pandemic,” says Dan Barouch, head of the vaccine research division at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. As a result, scientists across the world are scrambling to figure out whether BA.2.86 is indeed something to worry about.

Early studies suggest that Pirola isn’t much better at evading immunity than previous variants, despite all of its mutations. The protection offered by vaccines should hold up, and if you’ve been naturally exposed to the XBB variant, you should be better equipped to fight off this new variant.

Why is Pirola not very good at evading immunity, despite having undergone so many mutations? It’s likely that it evolved from BA.2, an older, more familiar form of Sars-CoV-2 that’s no longer circulating today, meaning that Pirola is less resistant to neutralization than more recent variants, such as XBB.1.5. But it’s possible that the variant may continue to evolve and change, Barouch warns, so staying vigilant will be key.

Determing whether it will take off and become the dominant form of the virus in circulation will require a “wait-and-see” approach, Barouch adds. “However, it does not appear to be spreading at the same pace as, say, the original BA.1 or BA.5,” he says, referring to two of the Omicron variants that spread particularly quickly.

Anna Bershteyn, an assistant professor and colead of the Covid modeling team at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, agrees: so far, so reassuring. “As far as we know, it doesn’t seem likely that this is going to be one of these huge waves of hospitalizations and deaths, the kind that have overwhelmed the health system in prior epidemic waves.”

In the UK, a care home in the east of England was invaded by the variant: 33 residents caught Covid, with 28 definitely infected with BA.2.86—suggesting that it’s pretty easily transmitted. But only two hospitalizations have been reported, which hints that Pirola doesn’t cause more severe disease than existing variants.

In certain parts of the world, its appearance has sparked action in the form of hastened booster programs. In the UK, the booster kick-off was rescheduled from October to within the next few weeks. In the US, the latest round of boosters is expected to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration very soon (although who should get one remains a source of debate). The findings of a recent preprint suggest that Moderna’s XBB.1.5 booster seems to work well against the BA.2.86 variant.

But while BA.2.86 may not yet be spreading rampantly, a Covid wave is indeed unfurling, with cases once again rising. In the US, hospitalizations are up, although they’re still nowhere near the sky-high levels they were at this time last year. Cases are also mushrooming in the UK and in Europe.

For now, BA.2.86’s spread is shaping up to be nothing like the Omicron wave that rocketed across the world at the end of 2021—the last time we saw such a big raft of Covid mutations appear. As one scientist put it, Pirola may be a “real nothingburger.”

[nuadox]

FAQ on COVID-19 subvariant XBB.1.5

- By Sameer Elsayed , Western University , The Conversation -

Despite intensive public health efforts to grind the COVID-19 pandemic to a halt, the recent emergence of the highly transmissible, extensively drug-resistant and profoundly immune system-evading XBB.1.5 SARS-CoV-2 subvariant is putting the global community on edge.

What is XBB.1.5?

In the naming convention for SARS-CoV-2 lineages, the prefix “X” denotes a pedigree that arose through genetic recombination between two or more subvariants.

The XBB lineage emerged following natural co-infection of a human host with two Omicron subvariants, namely BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75. It was first identified by public health authorities in India during summer 2022. XBB.1.5 is a direct descendent, or more accurately, the “fifth grandchild” of the original XBB subvariant.

Genetic lineage of COVID-19 subvariant XBB.1.5. (Sameer Elsayed), Author provided

How does XBB.1.5 differ from Omicron?

XBB.1.5 is one of many Omicron subvariants of concern that have appeared on the global pandemic scene since the onset of the first Omicron wave in November 2021. In contrast to other descendants of the original Omicron variant (known as B.1.1.529), XBB.1.5 is a mosaic subvariant that traces its roots to two Omicron subvariant lineages.

XBB.1.5 is arguably the most genetically rich and most transmissible SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariant yet.

Where is XBB.1.5 prevalent?

According to the World Health Organization, XBB.1.5 is circulating in at least 38 countries, with the highest prevalence in the United States, where it accounts for approximately 43 per cent of COVID-19 cases nationwide. Within the U.S., there is wide geographic variation in the proportion of cases caused by XBB.1.5, ranging from seven per cent in the Midwest to over 70 per cent in New England.

XBB.1.5 has also been officially reported by governmental agencies in Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Kuwait, Russia, Singapore, South Africa and the United Kingdom. Real-time surveillance data reveals that XBB.1.5 is rapidly spreading across the globe and will likely become the next dominant subvariant.

XBB.1.5 has also been detected in municipal wastewater systems in the United States, Europe and other places.

How likely is XBB.1.5 to cause serious illness?

There is limited data about the ability of XBB.1.5 to cause serious illness. According to the World Health Organization, XBB.1.5 does not have any specific mutations that make it any more dangerous than its ancestral subvariants.

Nonetheless, XBB.1.5 is perceived as being equally capable of causing serious illness in elderly and immunocompromised persons compared to previous Omicron subvariants of concern.

Are current mRNA vaccines effective against XBB.1.5?

XBB.1.5 and XBB.1 are the Omicron subvariants with the greatest immune-evasive properties. Therefore, one of the most contentious issues surrounding XBB.1.5 relates to the degree of protection afforded by currently available mRNA vaccines, including the latest bivalent booster formulations.

Researchers from the University of Texas determined that first-generation and bivalent mRNA booster vaccines containing BA.5 result in lacklustre neutralizing antibody responses against XBB.1.5. A report (yet to be peer reviewed) from investigators at the Cleveland Clinic found that bivalent vaccines demonstrate only modest (30 per cent) effectiveness in otherwise healthy non-elderly people when the variants in the vaccine match those circulating in the community.

Furthermore, some experts believe the administration of bivalent boosters for the prevention of COVID-19 illness in otherwise healthy young individuals is not medically justified nor cost-effective.

In contrast, public health experts from Atlanta, Ga. and Stanford, Calif. reported that although the neutralizing antibody activity of bivalent booster vaccines against XBB.1.5 is 12 to 26 times less than antibody activity against the wild-type (original) SARS-CoV-2 virus, bivalent vaccines still perform better than monovalent vaccines against XBB.1.5.

However, investigators from Columbia University in New York found that neutralizing antibody levels following bivalent boosting were up to 155–fold lower against XBB.1.5 compared to levels against the wild-type virus following monovalent boosting.

This suggests that neither monovalent nor bivalent booster vaccines can be relied upon to provide adequate protection against XBB.1.5.

How can you protect yourself against XBB.1.5?

The rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 continues to pose a challenge for the management of COVID-19 illness using available preventive and therapeutic agents. Of note, all currently available monoclonal antibodies targeting the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 are deemed to be ineffective against XBB.1.5.

Antiviral medicines such as remdesivir and Paxlovid may be considered for the treatment of eligible infected patients at high risk of progressing to severe disease.

Standard infection control precautions including indoor masking, social distancing and frequent handwashing are effective measures that can be employed for personal and population protection against XBB.1.5 and other subvariants of concern.

Although bivalent boosters may be considered for elderly, immunocompromised and other risk-averse individuals, their effectiveness in preventing COVID-19 illness due to XBB.1.5 remains uncertain.

Why is XBB.1.5 nicknamed ‘Kraken’?

Some scientists have coined unofficially-recognized nicknames for XBB.1.5 and other SARS-CoV-2 subvariants of concern, arguing that they are easier to remember than generic alphanumeric designations.

The ‘Kraken’ label for XBB.1.5 is currently in vogue on social media sites and news outlets, and the nicknames ‘Gryphon’ and ‘Hippogryph’ have been used to denote the ancestral subvariants XBB and XBB.1, respectively. Kraken refers to a mythological Scandinavian sea monster or giant squid, Gryphon (or Griffin) refers to a legendary creature that is a hybrid of an eagle and a lion, while Hippogryph (or Hippogriff) is a fictitious animal hybrid of a Gryphon and a horse.

Notwithstanding their potential utility as memory aids, the use of nicknames or acronyms in formal scientific discussions should be avoided.

Sameer Elsayed, Professor of Medicine, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, and Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Western University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

--

Read Also

Study: 30% of COVID patients develop ‘long COVID’

[screenshots123]

📆 02 Oct 2024 📰 GP says new XEC Covid variant is 'wiping people out' and 'expected to become most dominant' 🗞️ Birmingham Live

A GP in England has said the new XEC Covid variant is 'becoming more prevalent' with patients reporting feeling 'wiped out'. Dr Helen Wall said GPs are seeing a rise in illnesses as the new XEC coronavirus variant spreads.

XEC is a recombinant variant, which occurs when two existing strains combine. XEC is formed from the KP.3.3 and KS. 1.1 strains, with genetic links to omicron, a variant initially spotted in South Africa in 2021 and known for its high contagion levels and reduced severity compared to earlier SARS-CoV-2 strains.

However Dr Wall said the latest strain is 'expected to become the most dominant'. The Greater Manchester GP has also witnessed patients reporting stronger symptoms than some of the previous variants, such as exhaustion, which 'seem to be really wiping people out'.

"We could well be seeing the new Covid variant in practice," said Dr Wall. "At the moment, it seems to be a bit more flu-like than previous iterations of Covid, with a high temperature, a cough, aching body, headache. Some of the symptoms in the past were more cough and cold symptoms, but at the moment, Covid does seem to be wiping people out.”

One of the main difficulties for doctors right now, according to the Bolton health worker, is that a lot of symptoms blend with a host of illnesses that often rise when the weather starts to turn colder and children go back to school. "Whether it's Covid versus flu is hard to separate," she said. "People who have the flu tend to be extremely unwell.

[trendingreportz]

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Collaborative Robotic (Cobots) Systems Market - Forecast(2024 - 2030)

AI in Cobots Market Overview

The global AI in cobots market in 2021 reached $118.2 million and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 34.22% during the forecast period to reach $616.3 million by 2027. The entire robotics industry is witnessing the effects of Covid-19 pandemic, with strain felt on the supply chain restricting parts of imports and equipment exports in H1 2021 especially. The overall economic uncertainty also pushed majority of customers to defer purchases in order to conserve capital. Recent advancements in Machine Learning and human robot interaction have enabled collaborative robots to precisely execute tasks in dynamically changing workspaces, enabling operations and material handling to run more smoothly, efficiently and productively. AI is now intelligently powering cobots by leveraging billions of hours of iterative machine learned practices in manufacturing, production and engineering. Collaborative robots (cobots) represent a variant of industrial robots and is currently considered to be one of the fastest growing segments in industrial automation driven by improved technology such as virtual assistants, cloud computing, internet of things. A cobot is a type of robot that is designed to operate alongside humans in shared workspaces. These machines are easy to program and deploy, can increase productivity manifold, and offer high returns on investment.

Report Coverage

The report: “AI in Cobots Market – Forecast (2022-2027)”, by IndustryARC covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the AI in Cobots market

By Payload: Up to 5 Kg, 5 to 10 Kg, Above 10 Kg. By Application: Handling, Assembling/Disassembling, Welding and Soldering, Dispensing, Packaging and Others. By End User: Automotive, Electronics, Semiconductor, Plastics and Polymer, Food and Beverage, Healthcare, Metals and Machining and others. By Geography: North America (U.S, Canada, Mexico), South America (Brazil, Argentina and others), Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia and Others), APAC (China, Japan India, SK, Aus and Others), and RoW (Middle east and Africa).

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Key Takeaways

Group PSA’s Sochaux plant in France has chosen Universal Robots UR10 for its "Plant of the Future" Project. Two UR10 cobots have been implemented at the Sochaux plant in screw driving applications on body-in-white assembly lines to increase performance and reduce production costs at the factory.

In 2019, Walmart has planned to invest $2.7 billion to add new robots totaling almost 4,000 robots in its stores and facilities in order to shift human workforce to customer service roles. The robots are majorly used for scanning, sorting goods from delivery trucks. This is set to create opportunities for AI in cobots in retail sector.

AI in Cobots Market Segment Analysis – By Application

Material Handling had a major share in the AI in Cobots Market with a value share of approximately 22.3% in 2021. Material handling is one of the major applications of industrial robots. Robots in material handling segment are used in applications such as movement of goods, protection, storage and control of products throughout manufacturing as well as warehousing of the products. Any industries that need to store, receive, dispatch or ship its products always entail industrial robot. Manufacturing and Warehouse operations involving handling of goods becomes complex when it takes place at a larger scale. This is made easy and efficient with the aid of industrial robots. Material handling robots are majorly used in warehousing applications as compared to its counterpart. Material handling applications that benefit from the incorporation of AI cobots encompass picking, packing, palletizing, sorting, and more. The wide-ranging use of these applications makes them a more site-specific solution for safety implementation. Operators and other workers are often moving or transporting other materials around the AI cobot, requiring additional planning to avoid hazardous contact. Safety-rated grippers are rare in the market at the present time. Currently, manufacturers typically use pneumatic grippers, which require safety considerations for impacts and the loss of power or suction. Uses of bar code, RFID, voice-activated receiving and packaging, pick-to-light technology, transportation management system is some of the drifts observed by material handling robots. Cycle counting, annual, physical and perpetual are few approaches of keeping a track of inventory.

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AI in Cobots Market Segment Analysis – By End User

Among industries, automotive held the largest share in 2021 at 23.2%. The industry development of AI cobots is ongoing in several different areas. Faster reaction time, more exact movement patterns, orientation capabilities, capabilities in imitating humans – all these aspects contribute to advancements in AI driven cobot development. In addition, brain-computer interfaces is an exciting area that has made significant progress recently. In recent developments in technologies such as linked data, parallel processing, edge computing and distributed artificial intelligence allow for efficient decision making by cobots, making execution robust and efficient. A challenge with the market deployment of AI cobots is that insufficient technology maturity hinders the market deployment of cobots. AI Cobot technology includes hardware design, sensors and actuators, efficient information processing, video processing, planning and multiple of fields from artificial intelligence landscapes, along with technologies that ensure safety, predictability and security of the solution. There is currently a need for high amount of signaling, bandwidth, low latency, and fast decision-making capabilities through efficient computing for AI driven cobots in safety-critical environments, wherein the facilities do not need human intervention. While the automation industry was affected during the pandemic, the longterm outlook for automation is positive, as end users evaluate their reliance on overseas supply chains and reevaluate their operations in a world where a pandemic can stop production cold. Automation is hence being looked upon as a valuable bulwark against the risks laid bare during the pandemic, and this can act as a strong growth driver for AI driven cobots and robots in industrial automation end user verticals.

AI in Cobots Market Segment Analysis – By Geography

Geographically, APAC held major share of 37% of AI in cobots market share in 2021, owing to high adoption of automation technologies in industrial and automotive warehouses and increasing investments and funding. North America is the next largest market with 33% revenue share in 2021. South America is witnessing the fastest growth rate with a CAGR of around 46.6% during the forecast period 2022 – 2027 owing to high investments and growing deployment of automation technology mainly in the countries such as Brazil, Argentina and Colombia. Portuguese company MOV.AI has announced in October, 2020 that it has raised $4m in funding. The company has designed its ROS for manufacturers of cobots, as well as academics and automation integrators. It also contributes to the ROS community. Some of the robots with AI enabled are YuMi from ABB, Franka Emika Panda, APAS from Bosch, Aura, Aubo, NEXTAGE and CORO etc.

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AI in Cobots Market Drivers

Growing demand for automation and technological advancements set to drive the AI In Collaborative Robotics Market

There has been significant growth in AI driven collaborative robotics market owing to the increased demand for automation, high competition in the e-commerce industry, and the advancement in technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The use of robots reduces the risk of injury to workforce has also witnessed growth. Integration of robots with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine vision technology has been assisting companies in obstacle detection, navigation, movement of the goods. This has been attracting vendors in automating the warehouses and installing the robots in warehouse, thereby driving the collaborative robotics market. In 2019, Geek Plus Robotics, an intelligent logistics robot solution provider had launched the world’s first interweaving sorting robot, which could be an alternative to conveyor systems. Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR), a leading manufacturer of collaborative mobile robots launched a new warehouse robot to automate the transportation of pallets and heavy goods across warehouses. Development of new robots for various applications of warehouses set to boost the demand of collaborative robotics market.

Growth in E-Commerce Sector

E-Commerce industry is rising at global level of retail and logistics. As a result, growing number of e-commerce companies look forward to automate warehouses. Warehouse robots play a key role in e-commerce industry for various applications such as automated storage and retrieval, picking and placing, order fulfillment operations and many others. Adoption of warehouse cobots by e-commerce companies helps in reducing operational and logistical costs and save on delivery time. This has been increasing automation in warehouses in order to deliver goods to shoppers in faster and more efficient ways by increasing productivity of supply chain. In developed countries such as the U.S., and Canada, Grocery retailers are focusing on deploying robots that bring the shelf stacks to human workers, who pick out the right products and package them up to be sent out. These robots travel with high speed, faster than humans, thereby increasing efficiency of the work. In 2019, Amazon had introduced new warehouse cobots in several of its U.S. warehouses that scan and pack items to be sent to customers. It has started using robots in warehouses, which scans goods coming down a conveyor belt raising the scope of adoption. In 2020 Covariant.ai launched its AI robots and solutions through its warehouse bin-picking robots which is being used by companies such as Knapp, a warehouse logistics company and Obeta, a German electronics retailer. As per estimates, around 2,000 AI powered robots have been deployed across warehouses globally.

AI in Cobots Market Challenges

High Initial Investment

The initial cost of AI driven collaborative robots that are used in factories are high as the cost of automation is much higher in comparison with labor costs. This prevents most companies from completely automating their operations with robots. The average selling prices of cobots vary from $25,000 to $50,000 and does not include the installation costs. In addition to this, there is a training cost associated with the robots that further restricts the operators’ likeability for integrating robots into their operating lines. Slow deployment of collaborative robotic systems by smaller and medium enterprises hampers the robotics market. However, high labor costs are set to drive the collaborative robot market during forecast period.

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AI in Cobots Market Landscape

Technology launches, acquisitions, and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the AI in Cobots market. In 2021, the market of AI in Cobots market has been consolidated by the top players

Fanuc

Techman Robots

Rethink Robots

AUBA Robots

ABB

Kawasaki

KUKA

Yaskawa

Staubli

Universal Robots

Recent Developments

In May 2019, the government of Saudi Arabia announced an investment of $30 billion to upgrade warehousing facilities by adoption of the advanced autonomous robots in the newly built warehouses across Saudi Arabia, thereby contributing towards the growth of the cobots market during forecast period in this region.

In October 2019, the South Korean government announced an investment $150 million to develop the intelligent robots for various industrial application which includes warehousing and logistics, thereby enhancing the growth of the cobots market.

[markrtaa]

Omicron, the new variant of the covid from South Africa: the intuition of danger

A new variant of the Sars-CoV-2 virus has been identified in South Africa, scientifically named B.1.1.529. The South African Minister of Health, Joe Phaahla said that there is still too little data available according to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), the presence of the variant has been documented by sequencing in 22 positive cases and has been defined as a potential "serious threat”, due to the numerous mutations of the Spike protein and high transmissibility.

[covid-safer-hotties]

New XEC Covid variant spreading 'more easily' as cases rise - Published Sept 23, 2024

By Howard Lloyd

The strain has quickly spread around the world - including Europe - and is now causing concern in the US

A new variant of Covid-19 is on the rise, according to scientists. The XEC strain started in Europe but has now spread across the globe, with research suggesting it is transmitted more easily than previous types.

Researchers say it is a recombinant variant - meaning it is created from two previously existing strains which someone may have caught at the same time. In XEC's case, it is a combination of KP.3.3 and KS.1.1. It is a genetic offshoot of omicron, a highly transmissible variant that first emerged in South Africa in 2021.

This means it shares many of the same characteristics as other omicron subvariants, such as spreading easily and causing less severe disease than the earliest SARS-CoV-2 strains.

It was first detected in Germany at the end of August and now 82 cases have been found in the UK. Doctors in the US are also concerned, with one saying it was 'just getting started'.

It has now been detected in 27 countries across Europe, Asia and North America. Despite only being found three weeks ago, 13% of cases in Germany are now the XEC variant.

Richard Orton, Bioinformatics Research Associate at the University of Glasgow, told The Conversation: "XEC appears to have a growth advantage and is spreading faster than other circulating variants, suggesting it will become the dominant variant globally in the next few months."

He added: "This new variant will probably be similar to other COVID variants in terms of the disease caused, given its similar genetic information. So symptoms such as a high temperature, sore throat with a cough, headaches and body aches along with tiredness are to be expected."

Hospitalisations with Covid in the UK are expected to increase in the weeks ahead as we move into colder weather. A new vaccination project will being next month in a bid to fight the spread of the virus.