Nissan forecasts $6.4 billion annual net loss amid pandemic

New Delhi: Crisis-hit Japanese automaker Nissan on Tuesday warned of a massive $6.4 billion net loss for the current fiscal year as it reels from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Is it safe to visit the dentist during the pandemic?

Is it safe to visit the dentist during the pandemic?

Washington: Is it safe to visit the dentist during the COVID-19 pandemic? Dentists can”t eliminate all risk, but they are taking steps to minimize the chances of spreading the coronavirus.

You”ll likely notice changes as soon as you enter the office. Many dentists have removed magazines from waiting rooms, for example, as well as some chairs to encourage social distancing.

They also are spacing out appointments to avoid crowding their offices.

You may be asked to arrive for your appointment with a facial covering and to wait in your car until equipment is cleaned and the dentist is ready. Before receiving care, you can also expect staff to take your temperature and ask about COVID-19 symptoms.

Procedures are changing, too.

Coronavirus is spread mainly through droplets people spray when they talk, cough or sneeze.

Dental care requires close quarters and procedures that can generate a spray of saliva and water.

To reduce risk, dentists are returning to manual tools for procedures like teeth cleanings, instead of other instruments that may do the job faster but create more of that spray.

Staff also have started wearing masks, face shields and other personal protective equipment. Some dentists are charging for all the extra gear, so ask in advance if you should expect extra costs.

As the pandemic spread earlier this year, dental offices in the U.S. mostly closed, except for emergency care. By the end of June, nearly all offices had reopened, according to surveys by the American Dental Association.

Surge in COVID-19 cases as pandemic simultaneously peaking in populous countries: WHO

Surge in COVID-19 cases as pandemic simultaneously peaking in populous countries: WHO

Geneva: The record levels of new daily COVID-19 cases are due to the fact that the pandemic is peaking in a number of big countries at the same time and reflect a change in the virus’ global activity, the World Health Organisation said.

At a media briefing on Monday, WHO’s emergencies chief Dr Michael Ryan said that “the numbers are increasing because the epidemic is developing in a number of populous countries at the same time.”

Some countries have attributed their increased caseload to more testing, including India and the US But Ryan dismissed that explanation.

“We do not believe this is a testing phenomenon,” he said, noting that numerous countries have also noted marked increases in hospital admissions and deaths, neither of which cannot be explained by increased testing.

“There definitely is a shift in that the virus is now very well established,” Ryan said.

“The epidemic is now peaking or moving towards a peak in a number of large countries.”

He added the situation was “definitely accelerating” in a number of countries, including the US and others in South Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Zoom booms as pandemic drives millions to its video service

Zoom booms as pandemic drives millions to its video service

San Roman: Zoom Video Communications is rapidly emerging as the latest internet gold mine as millions of people flock to its conferencing service to see colleagues, friends, and family while tethered to their homes during the pandemic.

Tuesday’s release of the once-obscure company’s financial results for the February-April period provided a window into the astronomical growth that has turned it into a Wall Street star.

Zoom’s revenue for its fiscal first-quarter more than doubled from the same time last year to $328 million, resulting in a profit of $27 million up from just $198,000 a year ago.

The numbers exceeded analysts’ already heightened expectations, providing another lift to a rocketing stock that has more than tripled in price so far this year while the benchmark Standard & Poor’s 500 indexes have fallen 5%.

After a big run-up leading up to Tuesday’s highly anticipated announcement, Zoom’s stock initially rose even higher in extended trading. But it abruptly reversed course and fell more than 3% after company executives acknowledged during a video discussion that some of its newfound users might depart during the second half of the year if health worries caused by the novel coronavirus dissipate.

Even if the shares trade in a similar fashion during Wednesday’s regular session, the stock will still be hovering around $200 more than five times the company’s initial public offering price of $36 less than 14 months ago.

The surge left Zoom with a market value of about $59 billion through Tuesday — greater than the combined market values of the four largest U.S. airlines, which have seen their businesses hammered by the coronavirus outbreak that has dramatically curtailed travel.

“Videoconferencing is going to become a mainstream service,” predicted Zoom CEO Eric Yuan, who co-founded the company nine years ago. He made the remarks during the video conference that at one point attracted more than 3,000 participants, a reflection of the intense interest in the company and its hot stock.

In a sign that the company still expects phenomenal growth in the months ahead, Zoom forecast revenue of roughly $500 million for its current quarter ending in July, more than quadrupling from the same time last year. For its full fiscal year, Zoom now expects revenue of about $1.8 billion, nearly tripling in a year.

Zoom’s boom has come despite privacy and security problems that enabled outsiders to make uninvited, and sometimes crude appearances during other people’s video conferences.

The concerns prompted some schools to stop using Zoom for online classes that have become widespread since February, although the company’s efforts to introduce more security protection has brought some back to the service. More than 100,000 schools worldwide are now using Zoom for online classes, according to the company.

Overall, Zoom now has more than 300 million daily participants attending a meeting held on its service, up from 10 million five months ago. Those numbers include people who join multiple Zoom meetings during the same day, something that has been happening more recently in recent months.

If it hopes to continue to expand, Zoom also will likely have to do a better job of protecting the privacy of its video conferences. To help achieve that goal, Yuan has been consulting since April with Alex Stamos, a highly respected online security expert who previously worked at Yahoo and Facebook. Both those companies encountered their only security and privacy problems, too.

Zoom’s success is also drawing stiffer competition from much larger companies, including Microsoft, Google, and Facebook.

India expected to have highest births since COVID-19 declared as pandemic: UNICEF

India expected to have highest births since COVID-19 declared as pandemic: UNICEF

United Nations: India is projected to record the highest number of births in the 9 months since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March, with more than 20 million babies expected to be born in the country between March and December, according to top UN body.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that pregnant mothers and babies born during the pandemic across the world were threatened by strained health systems and disruptions in services.

An estimated 116 million babies will be born under the shadow of COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF said on Wednesday, ahead of Mother’s Day, observed on May 10.

These babies are projected to be born up to 40 weeks after COVID-19 was recognized as a pandemic on March 11.

The highest number of births in the 9 months since the pandemic was declared are expected to occur in India, where 20.1 million babies are projected to be born between March 11 and December 16. Other countries with the expected highest numbers of births during this period are China (13.5 million), Nigeria (6.4 million), Pakistan (5 million), and Indonesia (4 million), it said.

“Most of these countries had high neonatal mortality rates even before the pandemic and may see these levels increase with COVID-19 conditions,” UNICEF said.

It is estimated that there will be 24.1 million births in India for the January-December 2020 period.

UNICEF warned that COVID-19 containment measures can disrupt life-saving health services such as childbirth care, putting millions of pregnant mothers and their babies at great risk.

Even wealthier countries are affected by this crisis. In the US, the sixth-highest country in terms of the expected number of births, over 3.3 million babies are projected to be born between March 11 and December 16.

“New mothers and newborns will be greeted by harsh realities,” UNICEF said, adding they include global containment measures such as lockdowns and curfews; health centers overwhelmed with response efforts; supply and equipment shortages; and a lack of sufficient skilled birth attendants as health workers, including midwives, are redeployed to treat COVID-19 patients.

“Millions of mothers all over the world embarked on a journey of parenthood in the world as it was. They now must prepare to bring a life into the world as it has become a world where expecting mothers are afraid to go to health centers for fear of getting infected, or missing out on emergency care due to strained health services and lockdowns,” UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said.

“It is hard to imagine how much the coronavirus pandemic has recast the motherhood” Fore said.

UNICEF said its analysis was based on data from World Population Prospects 2019 of the UN Population Division.

An average full-term pregnancy typically lasts a complete 9 months, or 39 to 40 weeks. For the purposes of this estimate, the number of births for a 40-week period in 2020 was calculated.

The 40-week period of March 11 to December 16 is used in this estimate based upon the WHO’s March 11 assessment that COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic.

UNICEF warned that although evidence suggests that pregnant mothers are not more affected by COVID-19 than others, countries need to ensure they still have access to antenatal, delivery, and postnatal services.

“Similarly, sick newborns need emergency services as they are at high risk of death. New families require support to start breastfeeding, and to get medicines, vaccines, and nutrition to keep their babies healthy,” it said.

“This is a particularly poignant Mother’s Day, as many families have been forced apart during the coronavirus pandemic, but it is also a time for unity, a time to bring everyone together in solidarity. We can help save lives by making sure that every pregnant mother receives the support she needs to give birth safely in the months to come,” Fore said.

Issuing an urgent appeal to governments and health care providers to save lives in the coming months, UNICEF said efforts must be made to help pregnant women receive antenatal checkups, skilled delivery care, postnatal care services, and care related to COVID-19 as needed.

“Ensure health workers are provided with the necessary personal protective equipment and get priority testing and vaccination once a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available so that can deliver high-quality care to all pregnant women and newborn babies during the pandemic,” it said.

While it is not yet known whether the virus is transmitted from a mother to her baby during pregnancy and delivery, UNICEF advised all pregnant women to follow precautions to protect themselves from exposure to the virus.

Closely monitor themselves for symptoms of COVID-19 and seek advice from the nearest designated facility if they have concerns or experience symptoms. Pregnant women should also take the same precautions to avoid COVID -19 infection as other people: practice physical distancing, avoid physical gatherings, and use online health services, it said.

UNICEF said even before COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 2.8 million pregnant women and newborns died every year, or 1 every 11 seconds, mostly of preventable causes.

The agency called for immediate investment in health workers with the right training, who are equipped with the right medicines to ensure every mother and newborn is cared for by a safe pair of hands to prevent and treat complications during pregnancy, delivery, and birth.

Tokyo Olympics 2021 ‘difficult’ if pandemic not contained: Abe

Tokyo Olympics 2021 ‘difficult’ if pandemic not contained: Abe

Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday it would be “difficult” to hold the postponed Tokyo Olympics if the coronavirus pandemic is not contained.

The premier’s remarks came a day after Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori said in an interview with local sports daily the Olympics will have to be canceled if the coronavirus pandemic isn’t brought under control by next year.

Abe told parliament: “We must hold the Olympics as a testament to humanity’s victory over the coronavirus.”

“If we’re not in such a situation, it’s difficult (to hold) the Games,” he said, insisting on the importance of developing vaccines and drugs.

He added: “We’ve been saying we will hold the Olympics and Paralympics in which athletes and spectators can participate safely and in a complete form. I think (the Olympics) cannot be held in a complete form if the pandemic is not contained.”

The pandemic has already forced a year-long delay of the Games, which are now scheduled to open on July 23, 2021.Mori was asked by the Nikkan Sports daily whether the Games could be delayed until 2022 if the pandemic remains a threat next year, to which he said: “No.”

“In that case, it’s canceled,” he said in the interview published on Tuesday.

A Tokyo 2020 spokesman told reporters also on Tuesday that Mori’s remarks were based on “the chairman’s own thoughts”.

Postponing the Games is an enormous logistical and financial challenge, with the final price tag for the delay still unclear.

The pandemic has caused 217,000 deaths around the globe. In Japan, the virus has infected around 14,000 and killed almost 400.

The country is under a month-long state of emergency and officials have asked non-essential businesses to shut their doors.

Top 10 pandemic movies to binge in lockdown

Top 10 pandemic movies to binge in lockdown

Cinema or any form of art often imitates what happens in real life. As the COVID-19 pandemic is spreading throughout the world, there are many movies that were based on pandemics or disasters that are gaining much recognition amid lockdowns imposed in many countries.

The films such as Hollywood blockbuster “Contagion” and Malayalam Thriller “The Virus” is getting popularity as people started watching these movies. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Contagion is one of the most popular movies being streamed around the world.

Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes take online sales route amid pandemic

Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes take online sales route amid pandemic

New Delhi: German automakers Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes on Monday said they have introduced online sales initiatives in India in order to help customers book vehicles from the safety of their homes amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Volkswagen said it is digitising its sales and service portfolio, enabling customers with the flexibility to choose their preferred model at their comfort and convenience.

The online retail process is simple, hassle-free and provides an end-to-end contactless experience, the company said in a statement.

From a customer displaying interest, to a conversation with the sales consultant up till the vehicle handover process, will be conducted virtually, the automaker added.

“With the launch of our simple, secure and user-friendly online retail platform, we are pushing the boundaries of end-to-end retail sales and strengthening our commitment to customers,” Volkswagen Passenger Cars India Director Steffen Knapp said.

Volkswagen has integrated its 137 sales and 116 service touchpoints, enabling customers to choose their preferred dealership while booking online.

Luxury carmaker BMW also said it has rolled out a unique contactless experience for its customers in India.

The ‘BMW Contactless Experience’ enables customers to explore and buy new and pre-owned BMW cars, book vehicle service, make payments online.

“Amidst the current pandemic situation, we have successfully transformed our business processes and put in place various measures to effectively and efficiently serve our existing customers and prospects by leveraging new-age digital technologies,” BMW Group India Acting President Arlindo Teixeira said.

As business dynamics evolve post the current COVID -19 pandemic, the initiative will play a crucial role in offering seamless sales and aftersales services to existing and new customers, he added.

Similarly, Mercedes-Benz India said it has further developed its online sales platform and announced a host of new customer initiatives under the campaign ‘Merc from Home’.

The initiative focuses on the ease of purchasing a vehicle using digital tools to facilitate the entire process, including online payment of products and services.

“The customers now can not only explore, select and make online payment for our products and services from the comfort of their homes, but can also get their Three Pointed Star delivered right at their doorsteps, as per their convenience,” Mercedes-Benz India MD and CEO Martin Schwenk said.

Honda Cars has also announced an online sales platform which it plans to integrate with its pan-India dealerships.

Hyundai Motor India has already integrated its entire sales network of over 500 dealerships across the country with its recently introduced online sales platform.

Facebook adds new ‘care’ reactions to express more compassion and support during pandemic

Facebook adds new ‘care’ reactions to express more compassion and support during pandemic

Facebook is offering a new heart-warming reaction to bring friends and family closer together. The social media app will debut a new emoji to use on its platforms, the ‘care’ emoji.

The new emoji, featuring the standard emoji avatar hugging a heart, will be available on Facebook and Facebook Messenger.

The reaction on Facebook will be available to show compassion on status updates, messages, photos or videos while on Messenger. Users can click the vibrating heart “when a regular heart does not feel like enough.”

Facebook’s EMEA comms manager, Alexander Voica said on Twitter. “We know this is an uncertain time, and we wanted people to be able to show their support in ways that let their friends and family know they are thinking of them.”

Rolling out globally from next week, users will be able to send a hug reaction on posts and photos shared on the platform.

Apple rolls out cheaper iPhone as pandemic curbs spending

Apple rolls out cheaper iPhone as pandemic curbs spending

New York: Apple is releasing a new iPhone that will be vastly cheaper than the models it rolled out last fall at a time when the economy was booming and the pandemic had yet to force people to rethink their spending.

The second-generation iPhone SE introduced Wednesday, April 15 will sell for as little as $399, a 40% markdown from the most affordable iPhone 11 unveiled last year. Higher-end versions of the iPhone 11 sell for more than $1,000. Online orders for the iPhone SE will begin Friday, with the first deliveries expected April 24.

Even before the pandemic, many people had begun to balk at the substantial price tags for smartphones that weren’t that much better than the ones they already owned. That pushed Apple to step up its emphasis on music and video services to the more than 1 billion people who carry around at least one of their internet-connected devices.

High-priced gadgets are expected to become an even tougher sell as the economy plunges into its deepest downturn in more than a decade.

Apple maps out its products many months in advance and the new iPhone SE isn’t a direct response to the economic meltdown hatched by the pandemic. Even though the iPhone SE will sell at a price that seems right for the tough times ahead, it is an extraordinarily difficult time to introduce a product, said Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives.

Apple faced a tough decision to make and ultimately decided to release and green light this smart phone to the market in hopes of gaining contained success out of the gates,” Ives wrote.

New iPhones are typically released with much fanfare at a Silicon Valley theater named after Apple founder Steve Jobs, who revolutionized the market when he introduced the first iPhone in 2007. The springtime event never happened this year because of the pandemic.

Even before the rapidly spreading coronavirus forced most states to order lockdowns, Apple had been hit hard by efforts to contain it in China.

Besides being its third largest market behind the U.S. and Europe, China is also where Apple makes most of its iPhones. With both its factories and stores in China shut down for several weeks this year, Apple issued a warning two months ago that quarterly sales will fall short of previous projections. The Cupertino, California, company is scheduled to release its result for the quarter later this month.

The new iPhone SE is an update to another low-cost model that Apple released four years ago. Apple stopped selling the original iPhone SE in 2018.

The updated Phone SE is essentially the same as the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, which came out in 2017. The iPhone SE won’t share the same displays and cameras carried by the newer iPhone 11 models. But it will be powered by the same A13 processing chip that’s inside the more expensive iPhone 11.

The original iPhone SE was was a hit with budget-conscious consumers or those who preferred a smaller, 4-inch screen as newer phones grow increasingly large. The new model is slightly larger than the original, with a 4.7-inch screen.

In what could be another popular twist, the new iPhone SE brings back the home button. That’s a notable change from the iPhone 11 line, which ditched the once-familiar button to accommodate larger screens that can handle the highest-quality video and photos.