Unearthing the origins of Covid-19

Dear Reader,
More than a year into the Covid-19 pandemic, the exact origins of the virus remain unknown. A team of WHO scientists is currently in Wuhan trying to find the answer, but they face tight controls from the Chinese government. While a majority of scientists hold that the virus was a natural occurrence, a number of others believe that it may, in fact, have come from an accidental laboratory leak. In this piece, Matt Ridley and Alina Chan take a close look at the evidence on both sides.
With the news last week that the Government is planning to reverse the David Cameron-era NHS reforms, attention is turning to how the health service can be transformed post-pandemic. Even before Covid-19, it was in a parlous state. Harry de Quetteville spoke to a wide range of experts, NHS veterans and politicians to put together this excellent, sweeping view of how we can remodel the health service for the better, post-Covid.
As Britain and the world race to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, perhaps the biggest hurdle remains electricity storage and, in particular, batteries. Yet, while that thought may conjure images of phones and laptops shutting down at inopportune moments, the technology may already exist for batteries that last a lifetime – and Britain is at the forefront of their development. Ambrose Evans-Pritchard has the full story in this fascinating piece.
Finally, redundancy is, by any measure, a terrifying word, particularly when it comes in the latter stages of a career. Becoming unemployed after a lifetime dedicated to a career can be especially devastating. Tackled right, though, it can be a moment of renewal, says Marina Gask. She details how to go about relaunching your career post-50 and speaks to a number of people who’ve done it already.
Chris
PS Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial is expected to begin tomorrow. To stay ahead of the story and find out how Joe Biden is changing Washington, sign up for our brilliant Letter from the USA newsletter. It arrives every Thursday.

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