By Seema Hakhu Kachru Houston, May 3 () Researchers in the US' Texas A&amp;M University are asking hundreds of frontline medical workers to participate in a late-stage, phase 4, clinical trial of a widely-used tuberculosis vaccine that could help boost the immune system and blunt the devastating effects of COVID-19 .Texas A&amp;M is the first US institution in the clinical trial to have federal clearance for testing on humans. Researchers hope to demonstrate that Bacillus Calmette-Guerin or BCG mitigates the effects of the novel coronavirus, allowing fewer people to be hospitalised or to die from COVID-19.The researchers are seeking to repurpose the vaccine, which is also used to treat bladder cancer. BCG could be widely available for use against COVID-19 in just six months because it has already been proven safe for other uses, the university said."This could make a huge difference in the next two to three years while the development of a specific vaccine is developed for COVID-19," said Dr Jeffrey D Cirillo, a Regent's Professor of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology at the Texas A&amp;M Health Science Center."BCG is not meant to cure coronavirus but bridge the gap until a vaccine is developed, thus allowing us to buy time until something can be developed," said Dr Cirillo. Healthcare workers will be the first people eligible for the clinical trial, which is set to begin this week. Efforts are underway to recruit 1,800 volunteers to take part in Texas A&amp;M's nationwide test of BCG's application for coronavirus."It's not going to prevent people from getting infected. This vaccine has the very broad ability to strengthen your immune response. We call it 'trained immunity," said Dr Cirillo.Because the human body fights a COVID-19 infection in a manner that is similar to how it would attack bladder cancer, the researchers are hopeful that his work could lead to an effective – and quickly developed – treatment for COVID-19.Additionally, evidence shows that the coronavirus can cause damage to a patient's central nervous system, and it even might cause long-term effects that could lead to dementia, Alzheimer's or Parkinson 's disease. Dr Cirillo said the potential for lasting effects from COVID-19 is another reason to get the vaccine to the public as quickly as possible.Texas A&amp;M University Chancellor John Sharp has offered USD 2.5 million to ensure research can proceed as quickly as possible. The Texas A&amp;M Health Science Center is leading a group of scientists and medical doctors with Harvard's School of Public Health, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, and the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.Dr Cirillo said repurposing the existing bladder cancer vaccine called TICE(R) BCG could result in bringing a COVID-19 treatment to the US public in the fastest possible way. Because the drug is already approved by the FDA, the researchers can skip the first three phases of clinical trials usually required before testing on people, since this vaccine has already passed those phases.As the coronavirus has spread around the world, researchers have noticed that the morbidity and mortality rates were lower in some developing countries, including India, where the BCG vaccine is widely used. SHK PMSPMS

Texas A&M university starts human testing of tuberculosis vaccine to fight COVID-19

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Two highly respected French doctors discussed on live television how a potential new treatment against <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-live-updates-latest-news?r=US&amp;IR=T">COVID-19</a> should be first tested in Africa, "where there are no masks, no treatment, nor intensive care."</li><li>One of them, Jean-Paul Mira, even compared Africans to prostitutes who were the focus of previous AIDS studies. "We tried things on prostitutes because they are highly exposed and do not protect themselves," he said.</li><li>Several soccer stars of African origin, including former Chelsea star Didier Drogba and former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o, tweeted their outrage at the two medics' remarks.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>A discussion between two top French doctors on live TV left viewers horrified when they proposed that Africa should become a giant laboratory for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-factories-7-different-vaccines-to-fight-coronavirus-2020-4?r=US&amp;IR=T">coronavirus vaccines</a> testing because the continent lacks the resources to defend against the infections.In the segment broadcast on the on French TV channel LCI, Jean-Paul Mira and Camille Locht raised the idea of testing new vaccines on impoverished African populations.Mira is head of the intensive care department at the Cochin Hospital in Paris, while Locht is research director at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM)."If I can be provocative," said Mira, "shouldn't we do this study in Africa where there are no masks, no treatment, no intensive care? A bit like we did in some studies on AIDS. We tried things on prostitutes because they are highly exposed and do not protect themselves."Locht agreed, saying: "You are right. We are actually thinking of a parallel study in Africa to use with the same kind of approach with BCG placebos," referring to <a href="https://presse.inserm.fr/en/the-bcg-vaccine-against-covid-19-really/38920/">vaccination</a> against tuberculosis INSERM says has appeared to protect children against infections, particularly respiratory ones."We will in fact think seriously about it," he said.The footage, broadcast on April 1, triggered a deluge of outrage accusing the doctors of white colonial attitudes.Several of Africa's leading footballers, including former Chelsea star Didier Drogba and former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o, also tweeted their anger.Drogba, who is from Ivory Coast, <a href="https://twitter.com/didierdrogba/status/1245798251720314880">tweeted</a>: "It is totally inconceivable we keep on cautioning this. Africa isn't a testing lab. I would like to vividly denounce those demeaning, false and most of all deeply racists [sic] words.""Welcome to the West, where white people believe themselves to be so superior that racism and debility become commonplace," <a href="https://twitter.com/dembabafoot/status/1245716208541995008">tweeted Ba, who is from Senegal</a>. "Time to rise."INSERM, ranked as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCImago_Institutions_Rankings">world's second-best research institution</a> in the health sector, issued an official statement on Twitter alleging the proposal had been "wrongly interpreted" and included as hashtag saying "#FakeNews."On April 2, there more than 6,700 <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fragile-africa-prepares-for-high-risk-of-coronavirus-spread-2020-2?r=US&amp;IR=T">confirmed cases</a> and 229 deaths of the coronavirus in the entire African continent, with many countries imposing a range of prevention and containment measures against the spread of the pandemic, according to African health officials.France, meanwhile, has logged 59,105 infections and 5,387 deaths.Do you have a personal experience with the coronavirus you'd like to share? Or a tip on how your town or community is handling the pandemic? Please email <a href="mailto:covidtips@businessinsider.com">covidtips@businessinsider.com</a> and tell us your story.And get the latest <a href="/coronavirus-business-impact">coronavirus analysis and research</a> from Business Insider Intelligence on how COVID-19 is impacting businesses.

2 top French doctors said on live TV that coronavirus vaccines should be tested on poor Africans, leaving viewers horrified

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>From Ebola's discovery in 1976 until 2012, the much-feared virus was confirmed as the cause of only about <a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/" target="_blank">1,590 deaths</a>. The current record-setting outbreak in West Africa has already killed <a href="http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/132834/1/roadmapupdate8sept14_eng.pdf?ua=1" target="_blank">2,228 people</a> and will require a wide range of strategies to contain it, possibly including <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/09/07/346562872/new-ebola-vaccine-is-tested-in-humans-after-success-in-monkeys" target="_blank">a new vaccine</a> and experimental drugs.
But while the Ebola numbers seem staggering, infectious diseases like malaria and influenza kill hundreds of thousands of people every single year - without grabbing many headlines. Tuberculosis and HIV are together responsible for nearly three million lost lives each year.
In a Sept. 10 paper in <a href="http://stm.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.3009848" target="_blank">Science Translational Medicine</a>, researchers highlight five diseases "for which new or improved vaccines are needed." Here is their list:
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>While vaccines exist to protect against some influenza (flu) strains and tuberculosis, they are "suboptimal" - they definitely help, but they don't offer complete prevention.
Forty different HIV vaccines have been tested, but none of them work - and in spite of better treatments, HIV/AIDS remains "among the top five causes of disease burden in 26 countries."
Experimental vaccines are in clinical trials for dengue and malaria, both spread by mosquitoes, but until effective vaccines become widely available, those diseases are fought mostly with low-tech approaches like netting and insecticides.
<h3>Even Existing Vaccines Are Underused</h3>
"Historically, one of the biggest challenges for vaccines in global health has been getting existing vaccines out to the people who need them," the researchers write. "Vaccines that remain in the vial are 0% effective."
While only a very small percentage of children in the world are completely unvaccinated, the vast majority - about 95% - don't receive the full suite of 11 vaccinations recommended by the World Health Organization (BCG [which <a href="http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=366365" target="_blank">reduces the risk of tuberculosis by 50%</a>], Tetanus, Pertussis, Diphtheria, Polio, Measles, Rubella, Pneumococcal, Rotavirus, Hib, and Hepatitis B).
Every year, huge numbers of children around the world, especially in developing countries, are infected with preventable diseases.
Many of these illnesses were much-feared and very common in the U.S. until the introduction of widespread vaccination:
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>

5 Diseases That Need Vaccines Even More Than Ebola

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Pityriasis rosea is a common skin condition that causes a set of temporary red, scaly rashes. </li><li>These mild rashes aren't contagious and usually clear up without medical treatment in 10 weeks or less.</li></ul>Pityriasis rosea — which means "fine pink scale" — is a mild skin condition that typically appears as small patches of inflamed and scaly skin. These patches most often appear on your chest, abdomen, or back. This fairly common skin condition can affect anyone, though women and people between the <a href="https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/pityriasis-rosea/#:~:text=The%20disorder%20most%20commonly%20affects%20individuals%20between%20the%20ages%20of%2010%20and%2035%2C%20but%20has%20been%20reported%20in%20all%20age%20groups%20including%20infants%20and%20the%20elderly." target="_blank" rel="noopener">ages of 10 and 35</a> are more likely to develop it, says <a href="https://bestbotox.ca/experts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Cory Gaskins</a>, a certified dermatologist and resident medical expert at <a href="https://bestbotox.ca/experts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BestBotox.ca</a>.This rash might alarm you, if you notice it on yourself or a family member — but here's some good news: It's not contagious and often <a href="https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/pityriasis-rosea/#:~:text=resolves%20on%20its%20own%20within%20one%20to%20three%20months." target="_blank" rel="noopener">doesn't require medical treatment</a>.Read on to learn how to recognize pityriasis rosea and how to treat your symptoms. Note: Pityriasis rosea is commonly called "<a href="https://www.cedars-sinai.org/health-library/diseases-and-conditions/p/pityriasis-rosea.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christmas tree rash</a>" because of its characteristic tree-like pattern: one large oval patch that branches out into smaller pink or dark patches.<h2>Signs and symptoms </h2><div type="image" title="Chart showing herald patch and smaller rashes." height="900" width="1200" msid="94106700" hostid="261" sizebytes="19204"></div>Pityriasis rosea doesn't just involve a rash. Before you notice any skin changes, you might also experience some flu-like symptoms, according to <a href="https://lifepathdoc.com/about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Jaspreet Oberoi</a>, a board-certified pathologist and founder of <a href="https://lifepathdoc.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LifePathDoc</a>. These symptoms might include fever, headaches, sore throat, and a stuffy nose.After the flu symptoms resolve — usually within a week or two — a skin lesion of about 4 inches in size will appear. This first lesion is called the herald patch, Oberoi says. The herald patch appears in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448091/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">up to 90%</a> of pityriasis rosea cases and typically has a <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pityriasis-rosea/symptoms-causes/syc-20376405" target="_blank" rel="noopener">round or oval shape</a>.Here's how the rash will progress, according to Oberoi and Gaskins:<ul><li>Within 2 weeks after the herald patch arrives, smaller spots or bumps will emerge and spread across your face, chest, back, and abdomen in a pattern that resembles the <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pityriasis-rosea/symptoms-causes/syc-20376405#:~:text=Then%20you%20may%20get%20smaller%20spots%20that%20sweep%20out%20from%20the%20middle%20of%20the%20body%20in%20a%20shape%20that%20looks%20like%20drooping%20pine%2Dtree%20branches." target="_blank" rel="noopener">branches of a pine</a> or Christmas tree.</li><li>These smaller spots usually have a pinkish or salmon color in people with light skin. In people with darker skin, the spots typically range from dusky violet to deep brown in color. </li><li>You may experience itching that ranges from mild to severe. About <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448091/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">25%</a> of people experience severe itching. </li><li>The rash may also cause post-inflammatory hypo- or <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/beauty/hyperpigmentation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hyperpigmentation</a>, or spots that have a lighter or darker appearance than your typical skin tone. These spots more often affect people with darker skin and may take <a href="https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/pityriasis-rosea-treatment#:~:text=Clearing%20can%20take%206%20to%2012%20months" target="_blank" rel="noopener">6-12 months</a> to clear up.</li></ul><h2>Causes</h2>Experts don't know the exact cause of pityriasis rosea, though many believe it relates to a <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pityriasis-rosea/symptoms-causes/syc-20376405#:~:text=It%20might%20be%20triggered%20by%20an%20infection%20with%20a%20virus%2C%20particularly%20by%20certain%20strains%20of%20the%20herpes%20virus." target="_blank" rel="noopener">viral infection</a>, Gaskins says. That's because pityriasis rosea initially presents with generic <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/conditions-symptoms/flu-symptoms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flu-like symptoms</a> before the actual rash appears, like many other viral infections. Another rash that follows this pattern is <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rubella/index.html#:~:text=Rubella%20is%20a%20contagious%20disease,the%20rest%20of%20the%20body." target="_blank" rel="noopener">rubella</a>, which is <a href="http://cdc.gov/rubella/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">caused by a virus</a>. Pityriasis rosea has also been linked to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448091/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">herpes virus 6 and 7</a>, according to Oberoi.What's more, some people have also developed rashes that resemble pityriasis rosea: <ul><li>After receiving <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448091/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bacterial vaccines</a> such as Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and Pneumococcus.</li><li>When taking certain medications, including captopril, D-penicillamine, clonidine, and barbiturates.</li></ul><h2>How to get a diagnosis</h2>Pityriasis rosea can be diagnosed by its <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/pityriasis-rosea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">characteristic appearance</a> and the distribution of its lesions, Gaskins says. Since the rash is so distinct, a dermatologist or other healthcare professional can usually diagnose it by sight alone. That said, make sure to provide as much information as you can about your symptoms and when they first appeared. You'll also want to let your care team know if you experienced any aches, pains, or other flu-like symptoms before the rash first appeared. If your doctor has any doubts about the cause of the rash, they may recommend a biopsy, skin scraping, or blood tests to confirm the diagnosis and rule out other conditions. Important: Make sure to <a href="https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/pityriasis-rosea-treatment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">let your care team know</a> if you could be pregnant or have recently had an organ transplant. They may want to monitor your symptoms more closely. <h2>How to treat pityriasis rosea </h2>Pityriasis rosea clears up on its own, usually <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pityriasis-rosea/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20376410" target="_blank" rel="noopener">within about 10 weeks</a>. There's no specific treatment that will help the rash go away sooner. Instead, treatment typically focuses on <a href="https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/pityriasis-rosea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">improving your symptoms</a>, like itching and lingering spots. Specifically, your care team may recommend: <ul><li>Hydrocortisone or other steroid creams to ease itching and inflammation. </li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/treatments/antihistamine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Antihistamines</a> to help relieve any lingering flu symptoms.</li><li>UVB phototherapy to help <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6287194/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reduce skin inflammation</a>. </li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/treatments/heat-rash-treatment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cool or lukewarm baths</a> with <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/beauty/oatmeal-bath" target="_blank" rel="noopener">colloidal oats</a> to minimize itching. </li></ul>Your doctor or dermatologist can offer more guidance on treatments for your specific symptoms. Important: You'll want to avoid using products intended to treat <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/how-to-treat-a-yeast-infection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">candida (yeast)</a> and other fungal infections, as they can worsen your rash.<h3>Self-care strategies </h3>These <a href="https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/pityriasis-rosea-self-care" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strategies</a> can <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/treatments/heat-rash-treatment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">help reduce discomfort</a> while you wait for the rash to clear up: <ul><li>Wear loose-fitting clothes and avoid exposure to hot environments, such as direct sunlight and hot tubs, to keep your rash from becoming itchier.</li><li>Avoid intense exercise and other activities that can heat up your body, as this can worsen your rash.</li><li>Avoid antibacterial soaps or harsh cleansers. Instead, opt for gentle bath products and <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/beauty/bad-ingredients-in-skincare" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moisturizers without fragrance</a> to avoid worsening your rash and itching.</li><li>Apply <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/best-sunscreen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broad spectrum sunscreen</a> with a minimum of SPF 30 to all exposed parts of your skin. It's best to wear sunscreen every day, but it becomes especially important if you have pityriasis rosea since <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/treatments/how-to-treat-sunburn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sunburn</a> can worsen the rash. </li></ul>If the rash lasts for more than <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pityriasis-rosea/symptoms-causes/syc-20376405#:~:text=hasn%27t%20cleared%20up%20in%20three%20months" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three months</a>, you'll want to make an appointment with a doctor or dermatologist, Gaskins says. They can help rule out other conditions that may be causing the rash.<h2>Insider's takeaway</h2>Pityriasis rosea is a relatively mild skin rash with a distinct, tree-like appearance. The rash typically clears up on its own within 3 months. It's not contagious, and you won't necessarily need medical attention — plus, once it clears up, you <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448091/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most likely won't experience it again</a>. That said, this rash may cause moderate to severe itching, and it can also cause lingering skin discoloration. If you're dealing with any uncomfortable or persistent symptoms, a doctor or dermatologist can recommend helpful treatments.

If you have an itchy rash that resembles a Christmas tree, you may have a common skin condition called pityriasis rosea

Mumbai, Apr 14 () Maharashtra Chief Minister UddhavThackeray sought to reassure migrant workers, many of whomgathered at Bandra railway station in the city seeking toreturn home, that lockdown was not "lock-up", and appealedthem to stay back.Conducting a live webscast on the coronavirussituation in the state, Thackeray briefly also spoke in Hindi,and stated that his administration was looking after migrantworkers. "These workers were told the trains will resumeservices from April 14 and hence they gathered.I appeal themnot to believe rumours," he said."The challenge is to tackle coronavirus by stayingback. This is Maharashtra and we are one country," the chiefminister said. He warned that he will not allow miscreants to playwith the sentiments of poor migrants and create a law andorder problem in the state."Whatever the government is doing is for your good,"Thackeray told migrants, seeking cooperation.Nobody should do politics over this issue, he added.The Maharashtra government was working on how tolift the lockdown and resume industrial activities, he said."We have set up committees to work on economic revival....(to work out) which industrial units can be started.There are ten districts in the state which have no COVID-19cases. We have to ensure these districts stay like that andalso banish the virus from rest of the state," he said.The rising number of cases in Mumbai and Pune was acause of concern, but the government was taking effectivesteps to curb the spread, he said.Saying that Maharashtra has conducted maximum numberof coronavirus tests, the chief minister informed that thestate government had asked the Centre to allow experimentaltrials of plasma treatment and BCG vaccine to treat COVID-19.Research has already begun, he said, and expressedconfidence that Maharashtra will show the way to defeat thevirus.While the state has reported 2,334 coronavirus cases(the number rose to 2,684 by the day's end), 230 persons hadrecovered, he noted.Those recovered included a six-month-old baby andan 83-year-old woman, the chief minister pointed out. MRKRK KRK

Lockdown is not 'lock-up', don't leave: Uddhav to migrants

Hello!Welcome to this weekly roundup of stories from Insider. I'm Matt Turner. <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/insider-weekly">Subscribe here to get this newsletter in your inbox every Sunday.</a> Plus, download Insider's app for news on the go - <a href="https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id554260576?mt=8">click here for iOS</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.freerange360.mpp.businessinsider&amp;r%5B%E2%80%A6%5Ders%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_term%3D06292021%26anid%3Dadmobdmob">here for Android</a>.What we're going over today:<ul><li>Employers are waging a war over work from home. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/in-war-over-work-from-home-remote-wfh-is-winning">WFH is winning.</a></li><li>Grubhub was once the premier food delivery service. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-grubhub-lost-the-delivery-war-to-doordash-2021-7">Then Uber Eats and DoorDash knocked it off the top spot. </a></li><li>DeepMind's cofounder was placed on leave after employees complained about bullying and humiliation for years. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/deepmind-mustafa-suleyman-google-allegations-bullying-settlements-2021-8">Then Google made him a VP.</a></li><li>Top venture capitalists shared their picks of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/list-top-biotech-startups-according-to-vcs-investors-2021">biotech companies they expect will have banner years. </a></li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/in-war-over-work-from-home-remote-wfh-is-winning"></a>What's trending this morning:<ul><li>Insider tracked down 59 former Pete Buttigieg staffers. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/buttigieg-campaign-staffers-where-are-they-now-2021-8">Here's where they landed after the 2020 campaign.</a></li><li>Helium mining is booming. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/helium-mining-setup-tips-profit-potential-how-to-maximize-gains-2021-7">One prolific miner explained how he capitalized and profited from the trend.</a></li><li>The relationship between Amazon Web Services and its cloud partners is strained, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-aws-cloud-partner-tension-snowflake-2nd-watch-internal-investigation-2021-8">according to former and current employees.</a></li><li>Want to fly a plane? Some airlines have developed programs that can <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airlines-combat-pilot-shortage-by-fast-tracking-trainees-2021-7">take candidates from the streets to the cockpit in five years or less.</a></li><li>Facebook, Google and Amazon are having a banner year and it's causing ad prices to spike. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-google-amazon-advertising-break-down-ad-prices-2021-7">Here's exactly how much.</a></li><li>Why chief marketing officer may be <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wealth-management-marketing-strategy-banks-jpmorgan-regulation-branding-2021-8">the most influential job in wealth management</a>.</li></ul><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/in-war-over-work-from-home-remote-wfh-is-winning">The battle over work-from-home has only just begun. </a></h3>After over a year of remote work, many staffers aren't looking for a return to pre-pandemic business-as-usual. When companies like Uber and Google announced mandated in-person work days, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/in-war-over-work-from-home-remote-wfh-is-winning">a wave of employee turnover forced them to create more flexible schedules.</a>Emboldened by the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-great-reshuffle-upward-mobility-quitting-jobs">red-hot job market</a>, Americans felt free to shop for flexible work arrangements that better suited their needs. Threatened by a full-blown exodus, executives suddenly realized they could no longer afford to ignore the uproar over working from home.Amazon backtracked on its "office-centric" plan, agreeing to give employees two optional days a week to work from home. <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/05/google-relaxes-remote-work-plan-will-let-20percent-of-employees-telecommute.html">Google</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-changes-return-to-office-plan-remote-work-hubs-home-2021-6">Uber</a>, which initially said they would mandate at least three days a week in the office, scrambled to offer more flexibility. It was a remarkable sight: some of the world's largest and most powerful corporations being forced to bow to their employees' work preferences.Get the full scoop here:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/in-war-over-work-from-home-remote-wfh-is-winning">Employers are waging a war over work from home. WFH is winning.</a></li></ul>Also read:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bcg-employee-archetypes-for-successful-hybrid-work-kristi-woolsey-2021-7">Half of Gen Z employees say they'll quit if they can't work flexibly. Here's how BCG recommends companies make hybrid work.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zillennial-millennial-gen-z-generation-am-i-age-year-birthday-2021-7">What it's like to be a 'zillennial,' part of the lost generation between millennials and Gen Z</a></li></ul><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-grubhub-lost-the-delivery-war-to-doordash-2021-7">The fall of Grubhub - as told by employees.</a></h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-grubhub-lost-the-delivery-war-to-doordash-2021-7"><div type="image" title="A Grubhub delivery driver rides along partially cleared streets near piles of snow in Greenwich Village on February 03, 2021 in New York City. New York City and much of the Northeast was hit by a major winter storm" height="4128" width="6192" msid="85152271" hostid="261"></div></a>Grubhub led the food delivery industry for years, but employees say it was slow to adopt new technologies and adapt to the changing delivery space. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-grubhub-lost-the-delivery-war-to-doordash-2021-7">This allowed UberEats and DoorDash to overtake them.</a>To some employees, the company's focus on profitability was part of Grubhub's downfall. DoorDash and Uber Eats didn't have shareholders to worry about. What they had was venture capital. "They were burning money," a former Grubhub manager who worked at the company until 2020 told Insider, describing Grubhub's rivals. "They were just spending - all these crazy ads, these crazy billboards everywhere. They were giving restaurants crazy good deals. And we just couldn't compete with that venture-capital money."To keep up with these tech-savvy startups without profitability restraints, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/collin-wallace-sold-food-ordering-tech-to-grubhub-2021-5">company tried to buy its way to growth and tech upgrades</a>. Read the full story here:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-grubhub-lost-the-delivery-war-to-doordash-2021-7">Grubhub's plunge to the bottom: Employees reveal how the company dominated food delivery, then nearly lost it all to Uber Eats and DoorDash</a></li></ul>Also read:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-started-by-uber-eats-alumni-network-startup-venture-capital">Meet the Uber Eats power network: These 12 former employees are raising millions for their own startups</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nightmare-scenarios-looming-over-instacart-plan-go-public-ipo-listing-2021-8">These are the 4 nightmare scenarios looming over Instacart's plan to go public</a></li></ul><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/deepmind-mustafa-suleyman-google-allegations-bullying-settlements-2021-8">Google hired DeepMind's cofounder as a VP, even though former employees complained he was a bully</a></h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/deepmind-mustafa-suleyman-google-allegations-bullying-settlements-2021-8"><div type="image" title="deepmind cofounder mustafa suleyman bullying employees 4x3" height="1800" width="2400" msid="85152276" hostid="261"></div></a>In January, it was reported that Google had investigated the alleged bullying behavior of Mustafa Suleyman, the cofounder of DeepMind, an important Google subsidiary. After conversations with more than a dozen current and former employees, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/deepmind-mustafa-suleyman-google-allegations-bullying-settlements-2021-8">Insider learned that this investigation came after years of internal complaints to human resources and executives about Suleyman's behavior</a>.Insider found that during his tenure at DeepMind, Suleyman was an executive who drove his team to great heights and, sometimes, great despair. "He had a habit of just flying off the handle out of nowhere," one former employee said. "It felt like he wanted to humiliate you, like he was trying to catch you off your guard. He would just start laying into you, in front of your colleagues, without any warning." "He used to say, 'I crush people,'" one said.Read what else former staffers said:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/deepmind-mustafa-suleyman-google-allegations-bullying-settlements-2021-8">DeepMind's cofounder was placed on leave after employees complained about bullying and humiliation for years. Then Google made him a VP.</a></li></ul>Also read:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tanium-wiz-lawsuit-court-texts-hindawi-cybersecurity-2021-7">'Bro, who would stay?' Texts from former Tanium employees surface as the $9 billion startup sues them and the firm that poached them.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/villa-startup-filling-california-backyards-with-living-units-atomic-2021-8">Meet Villa, the latest startup filling homeowners' backyards in California with extra, decked out living spaces</a></li></ul><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/list-top-biotech-startups-according-to-vcs-investors-2021">The biotech startups that are set to surge, according to top VCs</a></h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/list-top-biotech-startups-according-to-vcs-investors-2021"><div type="image" title="Venture capitalists Abbie Celniker of Third Rock Ventures, Vineeta Agarwala of Andreessen Horowitz, Robert Nelson of Arch Venture Capital, and Roderick Wong of RTW Investments." height="1249" width="1666" msid="85152278" hostid="261"></div></a>Insider asked 12 top VCs to name their picks for biotech startups they believe will surge in the next 12 months. Among them are upstart companies ArsenalBio and Flare Therapeutics. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/list-top-biotech-startups-according-to-vcs-investors-2021">Here's one of the picks: </a>Generate Biomedicines Picked by: Robert Nelsen, managing director of Arch Venture PartnersWhat it does: Generate is using machine learning to program proteins at the DNA level. Funding raised: <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2020/09/10/flagships-newest-biotech-designed-dozens-of-poten.html">$50 million in initial funding</a> from Flagship Pioneering Why it's poised to take off in the next year: The idea that artificial intelligence and machine learning can help drug companies move faster and design better medications has gained significant investor attention. Venture capitalists <a href="https://pitchbook.com/newsletter/how-ai-and-machine-learning-has-soared-to-record-heights">invested more than $5 billion</a> in healthcare-focused AI startups last year, according to PitchBook. See the full list of biotech companies here:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/list-top-biotech-startups-according-to-vcs-investors-2021">Meet the 24 biotech startups that top VCs say are poised to take off in the next 12 months</a></li></ul>Also read:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/list-top-psychedelics-startups-according-to-vcs-investors-2021">Here are the 15 hottest psychedelics startups that are set to take off in 2021, according to top investors</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/holistic-care-startup-kensho-health-seed-pitch-deck-2021-8">See the presentation that a burned-out tech employee used to raise $3.5 million for her quest to create the Yelp for holistic healthcare</a></li></ul>Finally, here are some headlines you might have missed last week.- Matt <ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/housing-shortage-bubble-pandemic-real-estate-inventory-home-prices-affordability-2021-8">We are still in a housing crisis</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bank-of-america-tech-leadership-cathy-bessant-coo-budget-bios-2021-7">Meet the 7 people reporting to Bank of America's top tech exec Cathy Bessant who help oversee a $14 billion annual budget and 95,000 employees</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-get-a-job-at-rivian-interview-2021-2">The complete guide to getting a job at Rivian, according to 2 execs who head up hiring for the surging Tesla rival</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/real-estate-investing-strategy-rental-ownership-house-flip-passive-income-2021-7">Deb Cleveland is a master house flipper who maintains 80 rental properties. The 30-year-real-estate investing veteran breaks down how she picks discounted houses to buy, renovate on a budget, and successfully sell or rent for huge profits.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/top-vc-says-mbas-should-never-go-straight-to-a-vc-firm">New MBA grads should not take jobs in venture, a Silicon Valley VC says: 'It's a bad career choice'</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vaccines-work-against-delta-covid-stop-badgering-vaccinated-wear-masks-2021-8">The vaccines work very well against Delta, so stop badgering the vaccinated to wear masks</a></li></ul>

Employers are waging a war over work from home. WFH is winning.

<ul><li>The current coronavirus pandemic isn’t unlike the second World War according to billionaire <keyword id="6360722" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ratan-tata">Ratan Tata</keyword>.</li><li>In an interview with Sudhir Sethi, Founder and Chairman of Chiratae Ventures, shared exclusively with Business Insider, Tata explains how the pandemic is a time for investing in new ideas.</li><li>“It's not a world war but it's like a world war,” he said.</li></ul>The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted society and has everyone wondering about what the ‘new normal’ will be once the lockdown finally ends. The mindset isn’t unlike what the world had to experience during the second world war, according to billionaire Ratan Tata. Just as the effects of the war weren’t limited to the western hemisphere, the effects of the lockdown won’t be limited to India. “I think it's not limited to India, what I'm about to say, I'd say with some degree of concern. You compare our situation to a World War, which was destructive, cities got bombed, manufacturing industries were disabled and yet it was in those times that many new technologies were developed. Many scientific, some of them dramatically horrible in terms of what was done to human beings but science was taken to a new height,” Tata told Sudhir Sethi, Founder and Chairman of Chiratae Ventures in an exclusive interview shared with Business Insider India. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="75676805" title="EXCLUSIVE: Billionaire Ratan Tata's advice to entrepreneurs — how to set up 'disaster proof' business in the post-COVID world" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> “Out of it came rockets, came other forms of enterprise and other forms of destruction, both were an issue of application. But the entrepreneurs who were supported by their governments to open new doors if you might. That could be the case again,” explained Tata. “It's not a world war but it's like a world war,” he said not unlike UN Secretary Antonio Guterres in April, who also pointed out that the current pandemic is the biggest challenge that the world has had to deal with since World War Two. The only difference is that, at the time, efforts were directed to a wartime effort and, this time, they’ve been redirected to ensuring people can stay at home. In a way, that’s actually better but the economic pressures on the economy are along the same lines. “There's a dramatic need for vaccines, there's a dramatic need for solutions. And strange things happen and I think we really have to look back and say with so and so innovativeness really has its roots quite often at a time of crisis like the crisis we have on our hands today,” explained Tata. Nothing is ‘too far out’ “And so there's an initial ‘throw your hands up’ you have this crisis and then there is our own innovativeness that comes to play. That's a time we need to support to invest. To not dismiss something as being too far out, but being something we should look at,” Tata said explaining how a crisis can give birth to innovation. “Well, I think investors should be keeping their powder dry and that might seem to be very prudent. It may also be very self-defeating. That now might be the time when investors should be looking at opportunities like they did in the 70s and 80s. Where it was driven by the creation of the integrated circuit or it was created by moving to a digital world or looking at nanotechnology as the means or looking at biology or sub nano driven projects, whatever it was the 70s and 80s were those kinds of heavy times when those things happen,” he explained. In today’s day and age, it’s already pushing AI-enabled drones and robotics to the forefront as a way of enforcing social distancing more effectively. “So today one could have a bunch of investors who would say I'll back this company because it's being driven to do something differently rather than say the right now is not the time to look at something new,” said Tata. “And I would like to say that to me the virus will disappear and in a period of time but the innovativeness that we bring during these difficult times would be something we could look back on and say there was a good part of what we faced the hardship that we went through, had its up moments which we availed of,” he explained. Governments have a major role to play in Journalists, politics, and economists have all made comparisons that compare the current crisis to the second World War, regardless of whether it’s with respect to the scope of challenges that are presented or the scale of economic dislocation. In addition to taking advantage of existing expertise that entrepreneurs can offer, one lesson to take away from the time is that there needs to be a centralised and coordinated government response. “Yes, to take an example, if you look at the US. Then you look at what organizations like DARPA have done as the government supporting new technologies in biotechnology or integrated circuits or in the total variety of things the government has supported - three, four, five billion dollars which the private sector would not have been able to do. They have ushered in new industries because of their ability to come up with the funds earmarked for a particular development,” Tata said. “And if we had at a time like this had a way of marshalling some funds. In certain areas, we could have another wave of innovativeness arising out of a problem just like we've had in World War 2 or the Cold War. We could look at the plus side of that which caused innovation to take place with or perhaps not have happened or taken much longer to do than they have done,” Tata concluded. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/86-indian-consumers-are-worried-about-repaying-loans-after-moratorium-says-a-new-bcg-survey/articleshow/75687575.cms">86% Indian consumers are worried about repaying loans after moratorium, says a new BCG survey</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/70-of-oyo-hotels-in-china-have-reopened-and-bookings-are-rising-slowly-the-company-says/articleshow/75687657.cms">70% of OYO hotels in China have reopened ⁠— and bookings are rising slowly, the company says</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/bandhan-bank-share-price-and-impact-on-rural-india/articleshow/75677008.cms">Bandhan Bank shares have gained 54% since lockdown started⁠— but the numbers will reveal the real damage to rural India from COVID-19</a>

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