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From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.
The coronavirus pandemic has changed many things about everyday life. One big change is childcare – or the lack of it.
As many childcare providers closed as part of public safety measures, so did schools, offices and businesses. Social restrictions also tightened. This meant many older adults were unable to help watch or care for their grandchildren.
This left working parents with a sudden, unexpected problem -- working from home with children who also had schoolwork to do.
Many parents struggled to meet work demands while watching over their child’s online studies at the same time. Even companies whose job it is to prepare for a pandemic were caught off guard – or unprepared.
The British drug-maker AstraZeneca spent years preparing for a health crisis. However, when it happened, the company was not prepared to help its employees work effectively at home with their children. The company asked its 8,300 employees about childcare and found that at least 1,100 needed help.
Fiona Cicconi heads the company’s human resources office. She noted that some employees said they were feeling worried about the work they had to do and about not getting it done.
Several of those working parents are also responsible for trying to produce a vaccine for the disease COVID-19.
So, AstraZeneca did many things to help its employees by helping their children. The company found about 80 teachers and paid them to organize classes online. It developed a computer software program to make planning the lessons easy. And it also found tutors for children needing one-on-one instruction.
Other businesses around the world did similar things to help their employees work through the coronavirus health crisis.
German business software company SAP provided online lessons for children of its workers. Those classes taught performing magic, dancing and learning to play a musical instrument.
In Italy, tire maker Pirelli teamed up with Radiomamma.it to provide online education and fun activities for children. Classes in English, creativity and technology are among the most popular.
However, not all parents have such support from their employer. Many are dealing with their own work, childcare and online learning on their own. I spoke with one woman about her ways of dealing with the situation.
Mary Shelley is a director of information technology at the University of Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. She says when her son’s learning went online, she needed strategies to manage her 13-year-old son’s education.
During the spring, Shelley says, it seemed easy to keep her son thinking about schoolwork. At that time, nearly all U.S. students were at home and taking classes online. But now during the summer, her son is taking an online pre-Algebra class. However, the methods she used during the regular school year are still helping her now.
Get up early and get organized.
Shelley says the most important thing for her is this: wake up early and get herself organized first.
“I try to get up early and get myself organized for the day … and figure out what’s critical to get done for myself and my own work.”
Create a routine.
Having a routine is important. A routine gives you set times for the things you need to do, such as waking, studying, taking breaks, eating and exercising.
Create the routine with your child.
When making that routine involve your child. Ask for the child’s help. Let them give input, or ideas. This can help a child feel empowered.
Shelley did this and says it gave her son ownership of the process. A child may be more willing to follow a routine if they helped to make it, or as our busy working mom says, “craft” it.
“I worked with him to try to craft a routine together to make sure that he has input on that as well. And I think that has helped him to take ownership of his work and of his day.”
Be ready to change your routine.
After you set a routine, see how it works with your family. And be ready to change things.
Shelley describes her process as trial-and-error. She tried some things with her son to see what worked.
At first, the rule was her son had to finish all his schoolwork before playing any video games. But she found that he works better if his work is broken up into two smaller learning periods, instead of one big, long one. The one consistent thing, she adds, all work is done by dinner.
“The only thing that has been totally consistent is to everything done before dinner, and so that leaves his evening free and leaves us free from hassling him in the evenings.”
This helps Mary Shelley keep a balance between home life and work life. Experts say this balance is important as many of us continue to work from home.
Experts also say that business leaders’ positions toward working from home could help lead to higher productivity and loyalty.
However, they also say that working from home also can present challenges. When work and home are living so close together, parents must set boundaries. They must know when to clock out and leave their work for the day.
And that’s the Health & Lifestyle report.
I’m Anna Matteo.
Anna Matteo wrote this story for Learning English with additional reporting from Reuters.
grandchildren – n. the child of one's son or daughter
strategy – n. a careful plan or method for achieving a particular goal usually over a long period of time : the skill of making or carrying out plans to achieve a goal
craft – v. to make or produce (something) with care or skill
input – n. advice or opinions that help someone make a decision
trial-and-error – n. a finding out of the best way to reach a desired result or a correct solution by trying out one or more ways or means and by noting and eliminating errors or causes of failure
consistent – adj. always acting or behaving in the same way
hassle – v. to bother or annoy (someone) constantly or repeatedly
boundary – n. point or limit that indicates where two things become different
clock out – phrasal verb to record on a special card the time that one stops working (2020/08/04 07:01)
The World Health Organization, or WHO, warned on Monday that there might never be a “silver bullet” or an extraordinary solution like a perfect vaccine against COVID-19.
WHO officials added that the road to normality would be long. And some countries would need to re-think how they deal with the health crisis.
Johns Hopkins University estimates that, by August 3, more than 18 million people around the world had been infected with the disease and more than 690,000 had died. Also, some nations that thought they were over the worst of the crisis are experiencing a resurgence.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged nations to strongly enforce health measures. They include wearing face coverings, social distancing, hand-washing and testing.
“The message to people and governments is clear: ‘Do it all,'" Tedros said from the United Nations agency’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. He said face coverings should become a symbol of togetherness around the world.
“A number of vaccines are now in phase three … trials and we all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection. However, there’s no silver bullet at the moment - and there might never be,” he noted.
Tedros said while the coronavirus is the biggest health emergency in almost 100 years, the international effort to find a vaccine is unlike anything seen before.
The WHO chief also pointed to some concerns. “We may not have a vaccine that may work, or its protection could be for just a few months, not more … Until we finish the … trials, we will not know.”
Dr. Mike Ryan is the WHO’s head of emergencies. He said countries with high transmission rates, including Brazil and India, needed to prepare for a big fight: “The way out is long,” he said, noting success will require ongoing efforts.
“Some countries are really going to have to take a step back now and really take a look at how they are addressing the pandemic within their national borders,” he added.
WHO officials also said an early investigation team had completed its China mission. The mission, demanded by the United States, was to search and identify the start of the virus. The U.S. is the WHO’s top donor and plans to leave the body next year. The U.S. government accuses the WHO of being too easy on China.
A larger, WHO-led team of Chinese and international experts is planned next. But the timing and other details of that are unclear. Ryan said China had already given some information but some knowledge is still missing.
I'm Jonathan Evans.
Michael Shields and Emma Farge reported on this story for Reuters. Pete Musto adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.
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Words in This Story
resurgence – n. a growth or increase that occurs after a period without growth or increase
symbol – n. an action, object, or event that expresses or represents a particular idea or quality
phase – n. a part or step in a process
transmission – n. the act or process by which something is spread or passed from one person or thing to another
address(ing) – v. to deal with a matter, issue or problem
pandemic – n. an occurrence in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people over a wide area or throughout the world
We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.(2020/08/04 06:59)
CES, one of the world’s biggest technology conferences, will be an online event this coming January due to the coronavirus health crisis.
The decision marks a change for event organizers, who said in May it would take place as a smaller, in-person gathering in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The decision also creates additional problems for Las Vegas. Like other popular vacation destinations in the United States, the city is suffering economically. More than 170,000 people attended the four-day show this past January, shortly before COVID-19 began to spread across the country.
In Nevada over the past two weeks, the average number of daily new coronavirus cases has increased 27 percent. The state is now listed sixth in the country for new cases of COVID-19 per capita.
The crisis has affected major technology events around the world.
Europe’s biggest consumer electronics trade event, Germany’s IFA, usually runs for six days. Last year, nearly 25,000 people attended the event. This year, it will run half as long and there will be no public access to the event, which will take place in September.
Web Summit, an event in Portugal that includes well-known heads of technology companies and famous people, will be online this time. Organizers aim to still hold a physical conference in Lisbon in December. But no final decision will be made until early October.
Trade shows are a place where people meet members of the industry, try new devices or make sales. The Events Industry Council reports that they represent $2.5 trillion in worldwide spending. Much of that is likely to be lost if events go online.
The Consumer Technology Association organizes CES. It had said in May that it planned to hold some events in Las Vegas next year. But Gary Shapiro, the group’s CEO, said the group’s thinking changed as COVID-19 cases rose sharply around the world. That makes it impossible to hold an indoor event in January 2021.
It is also unknown whether employees of big technology companies will be permitted to travel by next January. For example, Google said this week that its employees should work from home until at least July 2021.
The four-day online form of the CES show begins January 6.
I’m Pete Musto.
Joseph Pisani reported on this story for the Associated Press. Pete Musto adapted it for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.
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Words in This Story
conference(s) – n. a formal meeting in which many people gather in order to talk about ideas or problems related to a particular topic, such as medicine or business, usually for several days
destination(s) – n. a place to which a person is going or something is being sent
per capita – adv. by or for each person
consumer – n. a person who buys goods and services
access – n. a way of getting near, at, or to something or someone
We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.(2020/08/04 06:58)
The World Wildlife Fund for Nature - WWF - reports that nearly 3 billion animals were killed or displaced by Australia’s wildfires in 2019 and 2020. The number, reported in late July, was about three times higher than an earlier WWF estimate.
A team of 10 scientists studied more than 11 million hectares of Australia’s countryside to create the latest estimate.
In total, the wildfires affected about 143 million mammals, 2.46 billion reptiles, 180 million birds and 51 million frogs, the WWF said. The group noted that koalas, kangaroos and other native animals were among the affected wildlife.
“This ranks as one of the worst wildlife disasters in modern history,” said WWF-Australia Chief Executive Officer Dermot O’Gorman.
The WWF said it used different methods to estimate wildlife populations, including information from over 100,000 studies. The scientists created models to estimate the number of creatures found in areas destroyed by fire.
Project leader Lily Van Eeden from the University of Sydney said the research was the first continent-wide examination of animals affected by wildfires. “Other nations can build upon this research to improve understanding of bushfire impacts everywhere,” she said.
The total includes wildlife that fled destroyed habitats. These creatures faced a lack of food and shelter or the likelihood of moving into already occupied habitats.
Researchers said the destruction will cause some species to become extinct before their existence is even recorded.
“We don’t even know what we are losing,” said Chris Dickman, a professor of ecology at the University of Sydney. He spoke to Reuters news agency. “These were species that were here and now they have gone... It’s almost too tragic to think about,” Dickman added.
The WWF report calls for improvements in habitat connectivity to help species escape from fires. It also calls for identifying and protecting habitat that was not burned to help save threatened species. An expanded report on the study is expected later this year.
The wildfires started in September 2019 and continued through March of this year. Scientists say the fires were fueled by higher than normal temperatures and years of drought in the Australian bush. The fires caused 34 human deaths and destroyed nearly 3,000 homes.
The WWF said that over the past year, it had raised money from donors to deploy emergency aid to the front lines of the fires to help injured and displaced wildlife.
I’m Bryan Lynn.
Reuters reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English, with additional information coming from the WWF. was the editor.
We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.
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Words in This Story
rank – v. give someone a position on a list of things in order of importance
impact – n. effect on something
habitat– n. the natural environment of an animal or plant
species – n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants
extinct – adj. no longer existing in nature
drought – n. a period of extended dryness caused by a lack of rain
front lines – n. a position of direct and important influence(2020/08/04 06:56)
Japan is preparing for an increase in the number of new coronavirus infections. Recently, more than 1,000 cases were reported for two straight days in the country.
The news comes about one week after the announcement of a national travel campaign to restart the tourism industry.
National broadcaster NHK reported that the country had 1,266 new cases on Thursday. That number is higher than the old record of 1,264. The virus is spreading quickly in Tokyo and several other areas of the country.
Northern Japan’s Iwate prefecture was the last-remaining area free from coronavirus infection. It had its first cases recently, while the southern island of Okinawa had 44 infections, hitting record numbers for three straight days.
However, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government launched a national travel campaign on July 22. The goal is to restart the tourism industry and help the economy.
A member of the World Health Organization’s influenza group said the campaign was not well timed. He also said it created problems for those who fear the virus, but are in need of money and business.
“I’m not going to lie, I get a bit shocked when I see that someone’s visiting from far away,” said Keiko Tsukahara. He is the co-manager of a small hotel in the hot springs town of Nikko, north of Tokyo.
“But we have had zero income for the past few months and we need customers,” he said.
Mayor Soichiro Miyashita of the town of Mutsu, however, ordered 21 city buildings and other city-owned tourist attractions to be closed. He said health was more important than business.
The small town in northern Japan’s Aomori prefecture has only one hospital, with just four beds for patients with infectious diseases. It has so far reported no COVID-19 cases.
“As we experience the second wave of cases, it shouldn’t be a choice between our lives or the economy,” said Miyashita.
He added that any efforts to help the tourism industry should have been started at a later time when the spread of the coronavirus has been reduced.
WHO criticizes move to reopen
The WHO panel’s Norio Sugaya criticized the timing of Abe’s campaign.
“I’m all for supporting the tourism industry...But we should not do that when infection is resurgent. The virus spreads as people move. This is clearly a mistake,” Sugaya said.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike urged shorter operating hours for restaurants that serve alcohol and bars next month to try to stop the spread of the virus.
The government will offer $1,900 to stores that agree with its request to close at 10 p.m. until August 31.
Besides urging citizens to travel around the country, Japan is also slowly opening to foreigners.
The government plans to let foreign students and workers return starting August 5, the foreign ministry said.
I’m Susan Shand.
The Reuters News Agency reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr.was the editor.
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Words in This Story
tourism –n. related to the industry of providing services and entertainment for travelers
prefecture–n. an area of local government in certain countries, such as Japan and France
influenza –n. a common illness caused by a virus
customer –n. a person who buys goods or services from a business
resurgent –adj. becoming popular, active or successful again after a period of being less so (2020/08/04 06:55)
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