In This Edition

Key Takeaways

Newly-inaugurated President Biden walked back Trump policies, reentering the WHO and the Paris Climate Accords. China sanctioned 28 individuals, including a number of former Trump Administration officials. Global stock markets soared in anticipation of new stimulus and leadership in the US.

Condition Updates

A rundown of important global developments in markets, in business, and region-by-region, as well as statistical risk assessments by country and by US state.

Science Under the Scope: SARS-CoV-2 Virus Mutation and New Variants

It is well-known at this point that COVID-19 is caused by a coronavirus that is closely related to the 2003 SARS virus that emerged from China. The fact that the pandemic was caused by a coronavirus rather than an influenza virus was viewed as a positive because coronaviruses mutate at a much slower rate than most other RNA viruses.

Charts in Focus: Europe Under Lockdown

As Europe continues to face a winter of COVID-19 uncertainty, characterized by unexpected lockdowns and the new UK strain B-117, vaccine rollout continues steadily, but slowly. The European Union has now vaccinated over 6 million of its citizens, while the UK moves more quickly, having already vaccinated 4.7 million.

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