Scientists around the world are trying to find effective ways to fight the coronavirus. Scientists are studying the properties of a spray to fight the coronavirus. London loses ground because of the quarantine, and the number of new infections is rising in many countries. The quarantine in the Gaza Strip is extended, and experts investigate why the immune response to Covid-19 differs between men and women. This and other news about the coronavirus pandemic – in the review of the Russian service of the BBC.
According to Johns Hopkins University, there are currently 24 million reported cases of coronavirus infection worldwide, with more than 825,700 deaths. The United Kingdom, along with several other countries, is experiencing a new surge in coronavirus infections. In the past 24 hours, 1522 new cases have been registered in the country, 500 more than the previous day – the highest number since mid-June. At the same time, the scale of testing in the country has increased, and it is possible that this explains some of the increase in detected cases. The total number of coronavirus deaths in the UK (i.e. where Covid-19 is directly listed as the cause of death) has reached 57,200. Tourists and businessmen are no longer going to Great Britain, causing the country to lose 60 million pounds a day. The quarantine has hit London particularly hard: it is rapidly losing revenue and positions to other European capitals, warned the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
Trafalgar Square, one of London’s main tourist attractions, is currently much less crowded. We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what happens next. Episodes End of story Podcast advertising The coronavirus epidemic in Britain proved to be one of the deadliest in Europe, which deterred visitors, even though British borders were wide open at the height of the pandemic. But as soon as Europe began lifting restrictions on incoming travelers, Britain began imposing them. The modest list of countries from which one can arrive without a mandatory two-week quarantine is shrinking by the day: France and Spain have already been removed; as of Saturday, quarantine will be imposed on arrivals from the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Jamaica; and there are fears that Greece and Turkey, where there has also been a dangerous spike in cases, are on the horizon. In the end, the losses of the tourism industry alone in the United Kingdom this year may reach 22 billion pounds, according to the WTTC. It is very unfortunate because the British economy has suffered more from the coronavirus than any other developed country in the world: in the second quarter alone, it collapsed by 20%, while in the United States, Japan, Germany and on average among all members of the OECD rich countries club, the decline did not exceed 10%. The British had hoped that domestic tourism would offset some of the losses, but the WTTC warns against relying on it. In London, for example, only one in ten pounds of tourism revenue comes from visitors from other parts of the country. Nearly 90 percent comes from foreign tourists who come for holidays or business. Deserted hotels, restaurants and museums could result in the loss of up to three million jobs, according to the WTTC, and recovery will take years.
Scientists at the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) have found that the substance citriodiol, which is part of the Mosi-guard Natural repellent, can be used to some extent against the coronavirus, according to a report published on the UK government’s website. Two types of tests were performed. It was found that when a repellent in liquid form is mixed with virus particles, the spray effectively destroys them, but does not fully cope with virus particles on a synthetic analog of human skin. The report emphasizes that synthetic latex leather is used as a typical surface that has properties similar to human skin, but it is unlikely to behave exactly like human skin. The published results of the study provide only preliminary conclusions about the effectiveness of the repellent. Scientists hope that this will help other specialists to continue working in this direction and find an effective means to combat the virus.
India has once again broken the record for the number of new infections, with more than 76,000 people testing positive for the coronavirus in one day. Yesterday, the number of Covid-19 victims exceeded 60 thousand, placing the country in fourth place in the world in terms of this indicator. Officials say more than 3 million people have been infected in India since the start of the pandemic, with one million new cases identified in just 15 days. By comparison, it took 167 days to reach one million infections and 21 days to reach the second million.
When a strict quarantine was imposed in India in March, it became clear that cities would be the first to be affected by the epidemic. Although a similar situation is now being observed, experts warn that the coronavirus is gradually spreading to remote settlements. For example, the first case of infection was recently recorded in an Indian tribe living in the Andaman Islands. Despite this, Indian authorities point to a high percentage of recovery from infection, claiming that this demonstrates the success of the fight against Covid-19. According to statistics, out of every 100 people infected, about 76 recover and the mortality rate is only 1.8%.
For the first time since the pandemic began, Argentina recorded more than 10,000 cases in a single day. The country’s authorities reported more than 10,500 cases on Wednesday, up from less than 8,900 on Tuesday. The coronavirus situation in Argentina has not been good lately. On Monday, the country set a sad record for the number of daily deaths from Covid-19.
The curve of the number of infected in Argentina is steadily rising. At the very beginning of the pandemic, a strict quarantine was imposed in the country, thanks to which the number of infections was relatively low, especially in comparison with neighboring Brazil, but now the curve of the number of infected people is steadily rising.
In South Korea, 441 new cases of coronavirus infection were detected in one day, the highest number since March. 434 people were infected in the country, 313 of them in Seoul, according to the health ministry. More than 900 cases of infection have been linked to the Sarang Jeil Protestant Church in Seoul. Earlier, the country’s authorities accused its pastor, Chun Kwang-hoon, of irresponsibility and ignoring quarantine regulations.
Leaving one’s home in Gaza is only allowed for serious reasons. The Gaza Sector authorities have extended the quarantine for another three days. Mosques, schools and many businesses will be closed, and people will only be able to go out for serious reasons. Earlier this week, a 48-hour curfew was imposed after several residents not under quarantine were found to be infected. Since then, two people have died and 20 people have tested positive for the coronavirus. The number of cases is expected to remain the same.
Lebanon’s acting prime minister, Hassan Diab, said the country is at risk of losing control of the spread of the coronavirus as the number of new cases continues to rise in the wake of the Beirut explosion. After the explosion in the capital’s port on August 4, people who ended up in hospitals began to get infected. “The number of infections is increasing rapidly. If this continues, we will lose control of this pandemic,” the prime minister said in a statement. On Wednesday, authorities announced 55 new cases of infection in 24 hours. 12 people have died, setting a record for the country.
Wearing masks on the streets and in public places is now mandatory throughout Paris. American scientists from Yale University have tried to understand why the coronavirus affects men and women differently. According to statistics, complications from Covid-19 occur more often in men, especially in the elderly. The results of the study were published in the journal Nature. According to the report, men account for 60% of deaths from the virus worldwide. Scientists have been trying to determine whether this is related to the fact that women’s and men’s immune systems respond differently to the virus.
“Men and women react differently to Covid-19 “We found that men and women really do respond differently to Covid-19,” said research group leader Akiko Iwasaki in an interview with Science Alert. He noted that these differences likely explain men’s increased susceptibility to the disease. During the research, scientists discovered that women develop a more robust immune response involving T lymphocytes, which can recognize and destroy viruses. The interactive updated map shows the largest Covid-19 epicenters, number of infections and deaths by country and region.