Countries take different approaches in lifting lockdown
Madrid: Without a tried-and-tested action plan for how to pull countries out of lockdown, the world is seeing a patchwork of approaches. Schools reopen in one country, stay closed in others; face masks are an obligation here, a simple recommendation there. Kids still attend soccer practice in Sweden while they are not even allowed outside […]
Lebanon tightens security around refugee camp over virus
Baalbek: Authorities closed all entrances to a Palestinian refugee camp in eastern Lebanon on Friday after four more people tested positive for the coronavirus, heightening concerns the virus could further spread among its overcrowded population. The four infected with the virus are relatives of a woman who tested positive earlier this week and are isolating […]
Key nose cells identified as likely entry points of novel coronavirus
London: Scientists have identified two specific cell types in the nose as likely initial infection points for the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The researchers, including those from the Wellcome Sanger Institute in the UK and University Medical Centre Groningen in the Netherlands, discovered that goblet and ciliated cells in the nose have high levels […]
Fight against malaria could be set back 20 years, WHO warns
Cape Town: One of the hard lessons the World Health Organization learned during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa was this: Other diseases can be forgotten and take a deadlier toll. The WHO is now warning that the battle against malaria in sub-Saharan Africa, where it already kills hundreds of thousands of people a year, […]
Pakistan extends coronavirus lockdown till May 9
Islamabad: Pakistan on Friday extended the partial lockdown imposed in the country by another two weeks as the number of people affected by the deadly virus rose to over 11,000. About 79 per cent of the total coronavirus cases in Pakistan are now locally transmitted, health authorities said. According to the Ministry of National Health […]
Trump now suggests injecting disinfectants, bringing UV light ‘inside the body’ to kill coronavirus
Washington: President Donald Trump has suggested the possibility of studying injecting disinfectants into COVID-19 patients or bringing UV light “inside” their bodies to kill the deadly virus, drawing immediate flak from health experts while a leading disinfectant producer urged people not to listen to such dangerous speculation. Launching a new scientific study conducted by his […]
Pak’s coronavirus cases rise to 11,155; 79% cases locally transmitted
Islamabad: About 79 per cent of the total coronavirus cases in Pakistan are now locally transmitted, health authorities said on Friday as the number of people affected by the deadly virus rose to over 11,000. According to the Ministry of National Health Services, 13 more patients died due to the novel coronavirus, taking the toll […]
Coronavirus death toll passes 190,000 worldwide: AFP tally
Paris: The worldwide death toll from the coronavirus pandemic crossed 190,000 on Friday, with nearly two-thirds of the fatalities in Europe, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources at 0740 GMT. A total of 190,089 people have died and 2,698,733 been infected since the virus emerged in China in December. The hardest hit […]
WHO chief brushes off resignation calls, appeals for US aid
Geneva: The World Health Organization chief said Wednesday he hopes the United States will reconsider its freeze in funding for his agency and vowed to keep working on “saving lives” despite calls from some U.S. lawmakers for his resignation. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he hopes the U.S. believes the agency is “an important […]
China’s asymptomatic cases increase to over 980 with 27 new infections
Beijing: China has reported 27 new asymptomatic coronavirus cases, taking their total to 984, while a high-level committee headed by Premier Li Keqiang asked health officials to remain focussed on the targeted containment of the deadly virus. Asymptomatic cases refer to people who are tested COVID-19 positive but develop no symptoms such as fever, cough […]
