No one likes to be reminded of bad times. Therefore, it is entirely understandable that those of us who lived through the bleak years of the Covid-19 pandemic would be reluctant to go back to a regime of social distancing, PCR tests, mask wearing and near-constant hand washing.
As unwanted as some of these small preventive steps are, however, now may the time to consider incorporating some of them back into our daily lives. The World Health Organisation has reported a 52 per cent increase in new Covid cases over the past four weeks, with more than 850,000 new infections recorded. This is largely down to the spread of a new Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus variant called JN.1, which accounts for 44.1 per cent of Covid cases globally.
Classified as a “variant of interest” by the WHO, JN.1 has been detected in China, India and the US, among other countries. Although alarm should be avoided, some of the information available on this variant is concerning, with the WHO this week describing the “high transmissibility of JN.1 in humans”. Its spread is also taking place during winter in the northern hemisphere, which is a time of increased respiratory illness generally. If we factor in the high amount of seasonal travel – domestic and international – for the Christmas and New Year festive season, then complacency should be avoided.
That said, it is important to keep things in perspective. Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia in the UK, suggested to The National this week that there is no current evidence that JN.1 causes more severe sickness than other variants, adding that a Covid infection this year “is much less likely” to cause an illness severe enough to cause a person to have to go to hospital, compared to the same time last year.
But for those who think they can shrug off a mild Covid infection, there are many people who cannot: the elderly, the unvaccinated or those who have other health problems. For these people, a Covid infection can result in a much more serious situation. That is why it is good to see some governments act on vaccination and booster shots: Bahrain, for example, has become one of the first countries to offer the latest Pfizer XBB 1.5 booster as a defence against new variants.
Covid is now an endemic disease and a reality of life for many of us. There is no such thing as a truly “post-Covid” world. The virus will continue to spawn mutations and although governments can always do more to tackle the disease – improved messaging about booster shots and other preventive measures would be a start – it is down to us to exercise individual responsibility to curb Covid’s spread. That means wearing a mask where appropriate, getting a PCR test if one feels unwell and isolating if the result comes back positive.
Much has been achieved in taming a disease that spread fear and panic when it first rampaged through the population. The good news is that through scientific advances and international co-operation, Covid has been largely reduced to the level of just another respiratory sickness. That said, now is not the time to squander the progress that has been made by being blasé about carrying a virus that is as adaptable as we are.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
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*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
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Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways
The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof
The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history
Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure
Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
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Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
