As the number of global coronavirus cases surpassed 200,000 as of Wednesday, a Japanese flu drug undergoing clinical trials in China as a possible treatment for coronavirus has effectively helped patients recover, Chinese officials told reporters. This is only one of many drugs that have shown promise.
A Chinese government official said patients who took Avigan tested negative for the virus in a shorter amount of time.
Exploiting the pandemic for geopolitical gain.
A few good things will come out of the pandemic. A Democrat may well be the next US president and end the trade war with China, which will be in a better position to bargain, having had a lead in tackling the virus and a head start in economic recovery.
A group of neuroscience and neurotechnology researchers have conducted extensive research and developed a new brain imaging technology in two EU projects led by Aalto University. As a result of the successful research, a new project funded by Business Finland just started with the aim of making the devices usable for patients. The project’s budget is one million euros.
“More accurate measurements can be helpful in locating epileptic brain activity before surgery. The new device is also expected to help distinguish brain tumours from healthy tissue more accurately prior to cancer surgery. In addition, the device will increase our understanding of the connections between the different brain regions. This will help us understand abnormal brain activity in connection with, for example, depression or the progress of Alzheimer’s disease,” explains Professor Risto Ilmoniemi, Head of Aalto University Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering.
The improved accuracy can also be useful in the study of stroke, autism and brain injuries; and especially as part of basic brain research.
Media briefing on COVID-19 with Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Dr Mike Ryan and Dr Maria Van Kerkhove.
The increasing number of coronavirus cases in Italy has brought the entire country to a standstill. According to the Live Tracking Dashboard, there are 27,980 confirmed cases as of now and 2,158 people have succumbed to the infection. However, a total of 2,749 people have also recovered from the illness.
Since people are socially distancing themselves to avoid the virus from spreading, a lot of them are also losing business with every passing minute. There’s panic and tension all around. However, there is a piece of good news that’s become the silver lining at this time of misery.
Venice, one of Italy’s biggest tourist attractions, sees a lot of visitors throughout the year. However, ever since the country was put under lockdown, the streets are deserted and there is very less boat traffic on the city’s canals where people often enjoy the gondola rides. But surprisingly, the lockdown has helped in clearing the city’s canals. As reported By CNN, the locals have noticed a huge difference in the clarity of the water. The air quality has improved in the city.