Silver lining? Russia’s Cossacks don modified masks against coronavirusBy: Agencies on April 4, 2020MOSCOW: Cossacks and police officers enforcing the coronavirus lockdown in Russia’s western city of Kaliningrad have donned modified face masks that local scientists say can be worn for days without being replaced. The trick, they say, is to line the cheap cotton fabric of the masks with an ultra-thin coating of silver. The World Health […]
Masks do reduce spread of flu and some coronaviruses, study findsBy: Agencies on April 4, 2020LONDON: Face masks could help limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to researchers who studied the effect of surgical masks on the transmission of other corona and flu viruses. In the study, the use of surgical masks by sufferers significantly reduced the number of flu viruses detectable in droplets released through breathing and […]
How to stop the virus making us all fatterBy: Agencies on April 4, 2020The coronavirus has shaken the world like nothing else. But beyond the terrible toll of death, economic devastation and fear, the virus is likely to leave another lasting mark. It is going to make us all fatter. “I don’t know if we are going to come out of this experience stronger, but we will have […]
Customers desert South Korea’s animal cafes over virus fearsBy: Agencies on April 4, 2020A beige feline paces between two Gaudi-style columns at the empty 2 Cats cafe in Seoul, with upturned stools standing on the tables where humans sat to play with them in pre-virus days. Along with coffee, South Korea’s animal cafes offer the chance to cuddle companion creatures like dogs or cats for customers who cannot […]
Could TB vaccine protect medics from COVID-19?By: Agencies on April 4, 2020While developing a specific immunisation against the coronavirus sweeping the planet will likely take many months, researchers are studying the potential benefits of the BCG shot, which many people around the world receive as children. Laboratories and pharmaceutical firms are racing to find medicines to tackle COVID-19, which has infected more than a million people, […]
Business booms for coffin-makers in coronavirus-hit FranceBy: Agencies on April 4, 2020JUSSEY/PARIS: Two hauliers load their lorries with what is fast becoming a precious commodity in France as the coronavirus pandemic takes its dreadful toll – coffins. While most businesses have shut their doors as part of a national lockdown designed to slow the spread of the disease, the coffin-making factory in the sleepy town of […]
Controversial Soviet-era statue removed in PragueBy: Agencies on April 4, 2020Prague authorities on Friday said they had removed a controversial Soviet-era statue, despite protests from Moscow, to make way for a World War II memorial. Plans to remove the bronze statue of Soviet general Ivan Konev triggered a sharp reaction from Moscow last year. While Konev is regarded as a hero in Russia, many Czechs […]
Climate crisis: Even low level air pollution raises risk of dementia, study findsBy: Agencies on April 4, 2020An 11-year study of almost 3,000 older people living in Sweden has found even in an area where pollution levels are below the EU’s safe limits, that older people exposed to air pollution are more at risk of dementia, particularly if they suffer from cardiovascular disease. Researchers focused on 2,900 older people from one part […]
Australia enlists particle accelerator in coronavirus fightBy: Agencies on April 4, 2020Australian scientists are using the largest particle accelerator in the southern hemisphere to help fast-track the hunt for a vaccine against COVID-19, researchers said Tuesday. The Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne uses intense X-rays emitted by electrons coursing through the accelerator to examine key proteins in the virus, programme director Andrew Peele told AFP. Acting as […]
Historic Peruvian bull ring converted to virus homeless shelterBy: Agencies on April 4, 2020Lima has converted an 18th century bull ring into a homeless shelter to protect its most vulnerable people from the coronavirus pandemic, despite protests from bull-fighting activists. “We have to give them the best quality so that we can ensure they aren’t exposed to an infection situation and don’t infect other people either,” said Lima’s […]