The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

الجانب اللغوي عند الإمام البيضاوي في سورة البقرة

In the name of Allah, The most Merciful the most Beneficent. All praise are for him who is worthy of real praise. Darood u salam is for Him who is the greatest obligor. There is deep relation between Arabic language and knowledge of interpretation. If we have not full knowledge of  language knowledge, we cannot make correct interpretation and translation of the Holy Quran. This is why scholars concluded that the grip oflanguage knowledge is essential for an interpreter. Interpretation of Imam Baizawi"Anwar ul Tanzeel and Arar ul Taweel" has high status in interpretations. This interpretation/Tafseer is not only famous for literature and preaching but also it covers a lot of other knowledge. This debate indicates only the language knowledge of word. Along with the interpretation of Baizawi, those I have also written those words which have been mentioned in the interpretations of other interpreters.  &nbsp

An overview on measurements of natural radioactivity in Malaysia

Humans are always exposed during their lives to ionizing radiation arising outside and within the earth. The exposure to these radiation occurs from natural sources such as radioactive elements in rocks and soil, internal exposure form radioactive elements through water, food and air and cosmic rays entering from outer space to earth's atmosphere. About 87% of the radiation dose received by human beings is due to natural radiation, it is essential to assess the radiation doses in order to control possible health effects from such natural sources. In this regard, a number of articles have been appeared for Malaysia in international research journals, which have been reviewed and complied in this article. Most of these articles are about the measurement of activity concentrations of primordial (238U, 232Th, 226Ra and 40K) and anthropogenic (137Cs) radionuclide's and gamma dose rate in environmental samples using HPGe and NaI (Tl) survey meter

سونےاور چاندی پرزکوٰة میں مقادیر کافرق اورفقہی مسائل قرآن وسنت کے تناظر میں ایک تحقیقی مقالہ: Metamorphoses in the amount of Zakat on gold and silver: A Jurisprudential Research in the context of Qur'an and Sunnah

In this article, jurisprudential issues have been deduced from the difference between the values ​​of Zakat on gold and silver. Applied and qualitative research has been done in this article. Gold and silver coins have disappeared in the present era and have been replaced by paper notes. The question is under which syllabus should the Zakat on paper currency be collected, according to the syllabus of gold or according to the syllabus of silver? In this research, it has been clarified that the Shari'ah has prescribed 7.5 tolas of gold and 52 tolas of silver. Most of the scholars are of the opinion that the syllabus of Zakat should be fixed from silver, because Proven.The second reason is that the silver syllabus is more useful for the poor, while other scholars are of the opinion that in the present age the syllabus of Zakat should be measured by gold, because there is instability in the price of silver. Historians state that the dinar was equal to 10 dirhams in the time of the Prophet, 12 dirhams in the last period of the Umayyad period and 15 dirhams in the time of the Abbasids has been stable. If we compare the amount of Zakat with other sources, then Zakat on 5 camels, Zakat on 40 goats, Zakat on 5 Wasq of dates or raisins, then we will know that even in this era, gold is the closest to all the courses of Zakat, so it is appropriate. That is to say, in the present age, we should make gold the basis for determining the syllabus of Zakat