Ingrid Tischer needs a machine to sleep. For nearly 30 years, she’s been using BiPAP devices, which push pressurized air into her lungs so she gets enough oxygen through the night. In June, a friend texted to tell her that Philips Respironics, one of the world’s biggest producers of respiratory devices, had recalled many of its ventilators, CPAPs, and BiPAPs. Her machine was on the list. The realization was terrifying. “I’d gotten through the wildfires, the pandemic, and then suddenly, it’s like, oh, the monster is not dead yet,” says Tischer. “But it feels like the call is coming from…
Author: Mike Harrison
Pharmaceutical company Moderna said its COVID-19 vaccine is 93 percent effective through six months after the second dose, but as new variants of the virus emerge, people who received the vaccine may need a booster shot before winter. The company made the announcement as part of its second-quarter earnings release Thursday. “We are pleased that our Covid-19 vaccine is showing durable efficacy of 93 percent through six months, but recognize that the Delta variant is a significant new threat so we must remain vigilant,” Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in a statement with the earnings release. Moderna president Stephen Hoge…
Vietnamese Company based in Ho Chi Minh City – 3D Smart Solutions has just launched 3Dmanufacturer solution, applying AMFG’s technology. As needs be, the Vietnam 3D company giving extensive 3D arrangements – 3D Smart Solutions formally introduces the first 3D printing mechanization and customization platform in Vietnam market called 3Dmanufacturer, applying utilizing programmed innovation of the main provider AMFG – Autonomous Manufacturing. Seeing the developing and dire interest from clients, 3D Smart Solutions organization chose to put resources into an answer that can uphold this development, adding to the improvement of the 3D printing industry in the country. With the 3Dmanufacturer arrangement, the organization…
Volker Holzmeyer (41) will succeed Dr. Daniel Armbruster (53) as the President/CEO of Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA). Holzmeyer will assume the role in January 2022. The two are working together to ensure a smooth transition, to familiarize Holzmeyer with the market, customers and operations of the sole supplier of Porsche race cars and parts in the United States and Canada. Holzmeyer will be the seventh person to hold the position. “North America has always been very important to Porsche. Having the right person in place to oversee our largest motorsport market is critical,” offered Fritz Enzinger, Vice President, Porsche…
Conservative legislators and special interest groups are using scientific studies as a cudgel in their attempts to limit children’s access to gender affirming healthcare. One of the biggest battles is taking place in Arkansas. “We can’t act like these studies don’t matter,” Arkansas state Senator Alan Clark said on March 29th, arguing in support of HB 1570, a ban on gender affirming healthcare for minors in Arkansas. Clark was referring to cherry-picked research that depicted various treatments as dangerous, experimental, and unsafe for children. After a vote, Arkansas became the first state to pass such a bill into law. The…
This week, the dam broke. With COVID-19 surging around the United States and vaccination rates stagnating, federal agencies and state governments started announcing vaccine mandates for their workers. The Department of Veterans Affairs was the first federal agency to introduce a mandate, and Thursday, President Joe Biden announced that all federal employees would have to be vaccinated or face testing and other protocols. New York City and Los Angeles will also require city workers to get vaccinated. Private companies are doing the same. Google said Wednesday that employees would have to be vaccinated to come to the office, and Facebook…
The Biden administration wants states and local governments to give $100 to “every newly vaccinated American,” the Treasury Department said in a statement today. It’s the latest federal effort to improve vaccination rates as COVID-19 continues to surge around the country, driven by the highly contagious Delta variant. States could use funding from the American Rescue Plan to fund the payments. The administration is not mandating the incentive, but the Treasury Department said it was partnering with the Department of Health and Human Services to help governments roll it out. New York City announced this week that it would give…
Facebook will require its US employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 when they return to the office, the company confirmed to The Verge on Wednesday. “As our offices reopen, we will be requiring anyone coming to work at any of our US campuses to be vaccinated,” Facebook’s vice president of people Lori Goler said in a statement. “How we implement this policy will depend on local conditions and regulations. We will have a process for those who cannot be vaccinated for medical or other reasons and will be evaluating our approach in other regions as the situation evolves. We continue…
Apple will be requiring customers and staff at most of its more than 270 US retail stores to wear masks even if they are vaccinated, according to a new Bloomberg report, bringing back a requirement that had been removed starting in June. The change goes into effect Thursday. “After carefully reviewing the latest CDC recommendations, and analyzing the health and safety data for your local area, we are updating our guidance on face masks for your store,” Apple informed workers in a memo obtained by Bloomberg. “Starting July 29, face masks will be required in store for customers and team…
The Pfizer / BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine’s protection against severe cases of the disease holds steady after six months, according to new data released by the companies. But its ability to protect people from developing any symptoms of the disease dropped over time, the analysis showed. The data could add to the debate around if and when people may need booster doses of the vaccines, which the Biden administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other experts have been deliberating on for the past few months. The issue became more pressing when cases of COVID-19 in the United States started…