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Added on the 10/07/2019 18:26:13 - Copyright : Wochit
A faith-based retreat for high school boys in Wisconsin morphed into a COVID-19 superspreader event, leaving 115 people positive for the novel coronavirus. Business Insider reports 76% of campers and staffers came down with COVID-19 after a single camper developed symptoms. The camp implemented some mitigation strategies, like requiring the 152 attendees to quarantine at home for a week before travel. However, it didn't require mask wearing or social distancing during the retreat. Public health officials say attendees should have quarantined for two weeks, not one. One bit of encouraging news? 24 people who had antibodies against the virus before attending the camp never tested positive for COVID-19. These findings provide preliminary evidence that detectable antibodies might provide protection against new SARS-CoV-2 infections for an unknown duration. Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Scientists from the Russian city of Obninsk have developed a life-saving new blood substitute called "Krunidon", which has the potential to substitute any blood type, regardless of the rhesus factor. Blood transfusions can be complicated because some people's body reject blood from certain types, and not all blood types are always available on hand to help people in need. Scientists say Krunidon is completely free from infections typically found in human donor blood and can be used as a transfusion for any blood type. The substitute is capable of carrying oxygen to tissues and stimulating blood formation in case of blood loss or reduction of blood supply. The new substitute is going to be used in military medicine and is highly demanded by the Russian Ministry of Defence. The medicine is currently being tested according to the rigorous requirements of the Russian military and may become the standard by the end of 2017. Of course, Krunidon has many potential life-saving civilian applications as well.
The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict is having a 'catastrophic' impact on health in Gaza says World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the opening of a WHO executive board special session called to discuss the health conditions in the Palestinian territories. SOUNDBITE
At a press conference, WHO's Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says "we continue to see misinformation on social media and mainstream media about the pandemic accord that countries are now negotiating". Earlier on Twitter, Elon Musk wrote "countries should not cede authority to WHO". Without naming the South African billionaire directly, the WHO chief says "the claim that the accord will cede power to WHO is quite simply false. It's fake news". SOUNDBITE
"An ongoing surge in China is not anticipated to significantly impact the COVID-19 epidemiological situation in the WHO European Region" says the World Health Organization's European regional director, Hans Kluge. "The surge of two virus variants circulating in China are those that have already been seen in Europe and elsewhere," he adds. China is battling a wave of Covid cases since the government's decision to lift nearly three years of restrictions. SOUNDBITE
The World Health Organization's emergencies director Michael Ryan warns that China's official statistics "under-represent the true impact" of its Covid-19 outbreak, "particularly in terms of deaths". His comments come amid growing concern over China's steep rise in Covid infections since Beijing last month abruptly lifted years of hardline restrictions, with hospitals and crematoriums quickly overwhelmed. SOUNDBITE