WHAT IS THE NEW COVID STRAIN?

Millions of Brits have been plunged back into lockdown amid fears of a new high velocity strain of coronavirus.

The new strain of coronavirus is feared to be 70 per cent more contagious than the original Covid bug.

While there is no evidence currently to suggest that the new strain is more deadly, the "frighteningly transmissable" variation has meant the Christmas bubble has been burst.

It's thought the new strain - called VUI202012/01 - emerged in London and the South East as early as September, Sir Patrick Vallance said at a Downing Street briefing.

The high velocity mutant strain has seen Covid more than double in the last week, as data shows a sharp increase in hospital admissions across London and the South.

Boris Johnson said that it was thought the new strain could also see the R rate increase by 0.4

UK authorities have since alerted the World Health Organisation.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/13470016/covid-uk-news-mutant-strain-christmas-tier-4-borders-live/

lalasticlala, mynd44

- Countries ban UK travellers as Covid cases rise by 50% in a week
- Health secretary admits new strain is ‘out of control’

Britain’s border with France was closed last night with all travellers and lorry drivers blocked from leaving and the EU ready to ban all arrivals to the bloc.

Fears were mounting of gridlock on roads in Kent as the Channel Tunnel said that its services would be suspended at 11pm yesterday amid an international scramble to quarantine Britain over a faster-spreading variant of coronavirus.

Flights, ferries and trains from Britain are expected to be banned by Brussels after a wave of European countries including Italy, the Netherlands and Ireland implemented bans on arrivals. Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Poland, Germany and Sweden also announced travel bans. Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, said no flights from the UK would be allowed to land for 72 hours.

Source: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/europe-shuts-door-on-britain-over-fears-of-mutant-virus-zzxghvsc8

All those last minute party jumpers... The boys are ready for deployment...

What would you do if you caught the man who’d robbed you? Well, KwaZulu-Natal businessman, Siya Gasa decided to employ him.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgIxz5ccW7Q

DURBAN - A KwaZulu-Natal businessman who has lost his valuables has decided to employ his robber.

Siya Gasa's bag was stolen from his van last month, but he managed to track down his robber.

"We got the information and description of the person who had taken my bag, we then managed to set a trap for that person," Gasai said.

In a bizarre turn of events, Sanele Ngubo now works for Gasa.

But why employ a thief?

The businessman says he wanted to guide the 21-year-old.

"I said let's try and not harm him, Iet me try and protect him. Because if you open a case for somebody, he goes to jail and comes back even more dangerous," Gasa said.

Ngubo has been breaking into cars since he was in Grade 8.

He blames his actions on poverty.

"It's painful when you come back from school and there is nothing in the pot," he said.

Gasa says he is confident Ngubo will make most of this opportunity.

Source: https://www.enca.com/life/thief-gets-second-chance

Odion, you have really done well during this short time. I wish the season was not truncated by COVID-19 so you could play and score more for us.

I wish you well however this pans out.

Glory Glory Man United!!!

Video...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FynvUfX89I

Highlights

- Ms Wang, 79, survived after being buried in the ground for nearly 72 hours
- The disabled pensioner was dumped in a burial pit by her son, 58, in China
- Disturbing footage shows the elderly woman being pulled out by local police
- The son has been detained and faces an attempted murder charge, officials say

Full Story...

A 79-year-old disabled woman who was allegedly buried alive in a deserted tomb by her son has miraculously survived after being trapped in the pit for nearly three days, authorities have said.

Police in north-western China's Shaanxi province rescued the paralysed mother, known by her surname Wang, on Tuesday after the woman's daughter-in-law reported her missing.

The 58-year-old son, known by his surname Ma, has been detained and faces an attempted murder charge, according to the police. An investigation on the incident is underway.

Disturbing footage shows Ms Wang covered in mud while being pulled out from the burial pit by two police officers.

On Tuesday morning, local police from Jingbian county of Shannxi province received a report from Ms Wang’s concerned daughter-in-law, known by her surname Zhang, according to an official statement.

Ms Zhang told the officers that the pensioner had not returned home after Mr Ma put his mother on a pushcart and wheeled her out of their family home around 8pm local time on May 2.

The police immediately summoned Mr Ma for interrogation during which the son confessed that he attempted to bury his mother alive in an abandoned tomb.

Officials soon located the burial pit and started digging the tomb after hearing someone screaming for help.

They surprisingly found the paralysed mother still alive after nearly three days without food or water.

Media reports suggested that the son returned with the empty pushcart in the wee hours of May 3 after dumping his mother in the tomb.

When his wife, Ms Zhang, asked about Ms Wang’s whereabouts, Mr Ma lied and said that he had hired a van driver and sent his mother to visit relatives.

Ms Zhang eventually filed a missing person report when she failed to locate her mother-in-law, who was unable to walk on her own.

Local authorities have yet confirmed these accounts. It remains disclosed that why Mr Ma carried out the brutal attempt.

The pensioner is in stable condition and receiving treatment at a local hospital, said the police on Wednesday.

Police have detained Mr Ma on suspicion of attempted murder. Further investigation is underway.

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8292821/Paralysed-mother-79-miraculously-survives-buried-alive-son.html

lalasticlala mynd44

Speaking on GWHU's coronavirus podcast, Dr Mortman said the damage shown in the images suggests COVID-19 could have long-lasting effects on its most critical victims.

He said: "It starts off as a viral infection, but you can see that it becomes severe inflammation in the lung, and when it does not subside it becomes scarring, creating long term damage.

"It could really impact somebody's ability to breathe in the long term."

Dr Mortman said that while the majority of people who get infected will recover well from minor symptoms or have no symptoms whatsoever, around 20% will develop more severe problems.

Hospital admission, intensive care treatment and ventilation could all follow.

"People who so far have not been heeding the warning of public health professionals can see these images and the destruction that's being caused in the lungs, and why these patient's lungs are failing to the point of needing a mechanical ventilator," he said.

"Hopefully the public can see these images and start to understand why this situation is so serious and how this virus really is not discriminating among various people."

GHWU has been using its so-called Surgical Theater VR technology since 2016 - it has previously been used for surgical planning and to educate patients.

The COVID-19 patient - a man in his late 50s - had mild symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath) to start with, but his condition deteriorated and he needed to be hospitalised and placed on a ventilator.

When his condition escalated further, he was transferred to GWUH for more intensive treatment called ECMO, which stands for extracorporeal membrane oxygeneration.

It sees blood removed from the body, infused with oxygen, and then returned to the body.

PIC: The patient is a man in his 50s who initially had mild symptoms. Pic: George Washington University Hospital

Such damage could come in the form of an illness such as pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which stops oxygen from reaching vital organs.

Normally oxygen would enter down the windpipe and head into the lungs, filling up air sacs that then enter red blood cells, which in turn circulate around the heart and the body.

ARDS would stop the oxygen before it gets to the lungs, starting a domino effect for the rest of the body.

PIC: The damage can stop oxygen getting to vital organs. Pic: George Washington University Hospital

In these images, which were recreated from the university's first COVID-19 patient in mid-March, the green areas show where the virus has damaged tissue in the lungs.

"There is such a stark contrast between the virus-infected abnormal lung and the more healthy, adjacent lung tissue," explains Dr Keith Mortman, chief of thoracic surgery at GWHU.

"The damage that we're seeing is not isolated to any one part of the lung.

"This is severe damage to both lungs diffusely."

PIC: The infection causes the lungs to become inflamed. Pic: George Washington University Hospital

Researchers in the US have used virtual reality (VR) for the first time to reveal how coronavirus attacks the lungs and kills people.

Such is the ferocity with which coronavirus can target the lungs, even otherwise healthy people can fall seriously ill - and could die.

The images, from George Washington University Hospital in Washington DC paint a stark picture of the potential impact of the COVID-19 disease, which can be so serious that even patients who survive may be left with lifelong breathing difficulties.

PIC: The green areas show damage to the lung tissue. Pic: George Washington University Hospital

lalasticlala mynd44

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-images-reveal-how-covid-19-destroys-the-lungs-11969864

The four students were said to have contracted the virus while moving from one part of the UK to another to find means of survival.

Four Nigerian students in the United Kingdom have tested positive for Coronavirus.
The students are beneficiaries of the 2019 Niger Delta Development Commission Scholarship Programme.

SaharaReporters had published that the students were abandoned in the UK for eight months by the NDDC under Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Godswill Akpabio, and the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

The four students were said to have contracted the virus while moving from one part of the UK to another to find means of survival.
A colleague of the affected students, who spoke with SaharaReporters, said, “The students are currently being quarantined at one of the NHS centres in their neighbourhood.
“They have been fending for themselves and now, they have no money as they can’t go out to work.”

The identity and treatment centres of the Nigerians are kept hidden by authorities due to the Data Protection Act 2008.
The students are appealing to the Nigerian Government for immediate intervention.

The latest incident comes a few days after SaharaReporters reported the death of a Nigerian doctor in UK, Alfa Sa'adu, to Coronavirus.
The elderly man had visited a hospital as a consultant to help patients of Coronavirus when he contracted the virus and died.


Source: http://saharareporters.com/2020/04/02/nigerian-students-uk-test-positive-coronavirus

A prosecutor in Trento, Italy, has ruled that in situations of domestic violence the abuser must leave the family home and not the victim, a decision hailed as “fundamental” by the trade union CGIL.

“Being confined to home because of coronavirus is difficult for everyone, but it becomes a real nightmare for female victims of gender-based violence,” the union said in a statement.

In Germany the Green party’s parliamentary leader, Katrin Göring-Eckardt, said this week she feared for the lives of thousands of women trapped with violent partners, and called on the government to free up money for safe houses.

“The spaces in safe houses for women are tight even during normal times,” she told German media, and urged authorities to consider transforming empty hotels and guest houses, and lift conditions on leaving home for women who are vulnerable.

Her deputy, Katja Dörner, said house visits should continue in cases where there was suspicion that children were being maltreated, despite rules banning contact.

Police in India’s Uttar Pradesh state, which has one of the worst track records on violence against women in the country, have launched a new domestic violence helpline as cases surge.

“Suppress corona, not your voice,” read an advertisement on the front page of one newspaper. Police promised a female officer would handle each case, and police could arrest the perpetrator of any violence.

In Greece, officials said they were stepping up a campaign to help women deal with problems clearly emerging from the issue of confinement.

“Recognising that, generally, in times of crisis this is a problem, we are working around the clock to get the word out,” said Maria Syrengela, who heads the general secretariat for family policy and gender equality.

“Once official figures are released next week, and we know the true scale of the problem, we’ll be enlisting TV channels as well as social media and the mainstream press. There is no question in my mind that with the economic impact of the crisis this will get worse.”

In Italy activists said calls to helplines had dropped sharply, but instead they were receiving desperate text messages and emails.

“One message was from a woman who had locked herself in the bathroom and wrote to ask for help,” said Lella Palladino, from EVA Cooperativa, an activists’ group for the prevention of violence against women. “For sure there is an overwhelming emergency right now. There is more desperation as women can’t go out.”

Palladino said she expected to see an “explosive increase” in the number of reports of domestic abuse once the lockdown restrictions eased.

Mara Bevilaqua, an activist for the Casa Lucha y Siesta shelter in Rome, said all shelters were open and they were looking out for women trying to get in touch by any means. “We’re all ensuring that channels of communication are kept open,” she said. “Our mobile phone is active all the time and women can also contact us by email and Facebook.”

In Spain – where lockdown rules are extremely strict, and many people are being fined for breaking them – the government has told women they will not be fined if they leave home to report abuse.

But on 19 March, the country saw the first domestic violence fatality since the lockdown began five days earlier, when a woman was murdered by her husband in front of their children in the coastal province of Valencia.

The increased threat to women and children was a predictable side effect of the coronavirus lockdowns, said activists. Increased abuse is a pattern repeated in many emergencies, whether conflict, economic crisis or during disease outbreaks, although the quarantine rules pose a particularly grave challenge.

“It happens in all crisis situations,” said Marcy Hersh, a senior manager for humanitarian advocacy at Women Deliver. “What we worry about is just as rates of violence are on the rise, the accessibility of services and the ability of women to access these services will decrease. This is a real challenge.”

In many countries there have been calls for legal or policy changes to reflect the increased risk to women and children in quarantine.

In the UK, Mandu Reid, leader of the Women’s Equality party, has called for special police powers to evict perpetrators from homes for the duration of the lockdown, and for authorities to waive court fees for the protection orders.

lalasticlala mynd44

Activists say pattern of increasing abuse is repeated in countries from Brazil to Germany, China to Greece

Around the world, as cities have gone into lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus, the mass efforts to save lives have put one vulnerable group more at risk.

Women and children who live with domestic violence have no escape from their abusers during quarantine, and from Brazil to Germany, Italy to China, activists and survivors say they are already seeing an alarming rise in abuse.

In Hubei province, the heart of the initial coronavirus outbreak, domestic violence reports to police more than tripled in one county alone during the lockdown in February, from 47 last year to 162 this year, activists told local media.

“The epidemic has had a huge impact on domestic violence,” Wan Fei, a retired police officer who founded a charity campaigning against abuse, told Sixth Tone website. “According to our statistics, 90% of the causes of violence [in this period] are related to the Covid-19 epidemic.”

It is a pattern being repeated globally. In Brazil a state-run drop-in centre has already seen a surge in cases it attributes to coronavirus isolation, the Brazilian broadcaster Globo said.

“We think there has been a rise of 40% or 50%, and there was already really big demand,” said Adriana Mello, a Rio de Janeiro judge specialising in domestic violence. “We need to stay calm in order to tackle this difficulty we are now facing.”

The Catalan regional government said that calls to its helpline had risen by 20% in the first few days of the confinement period; in Cyprus, calls to a similar hotline rose 30% in the week after 9 March, when the island had its first confirmed case of coronavirus.

“It’s been a dramatic rise and it has only gone up,” said Annita Draka, of the association for the prevention of domestic violence, which is based in Nicosia, the island’s capital. “It’s a 24-hour helpline and the calls come in all the time.”

Those alarming figures log only cases where women are able to seek help; many cannot make calls because they fear being overheard by abusive partners, or are stopped from leaving home.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/mar/28/lockdowns-world-rise-domestic-violence

Nbote:
Covid 19 is mother nature's only way of punishing mankind and healing itself at d same time

Lolzzzz, interesting way to view it, but this healing process has been ongoing long before COVID-19.

The ozone layer is healing, new study finds

It heralds a rare success in the reversal of environmental damage and shows that global action can make a difference

The ozone layer is continuing to heal and has the potential to fully recover, according to a new study.

A scientific paper, published in Nature, heralds a rare success in the reversal of environmental damage and shows that orchestrated global action can make a difference.

The ozone layer is a protective shield in the Earth’s stratosphere which absorbs most of the ultraviolet radiation reaching us from the sun.

Without the ozone layer it would be nearly impossible for anything to survive on the planet.

In the past, human use of substances – chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) – caused such life-threatening damage to the ozone layer that in 1987, an international treaty called the “Montreal Protocol” was adopted to ban them.

Antara Banerjee, a CIRES Visiting Fellow at the University of Colorado Boulder who also works at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is lead author of the study.

She told The Independent: “We found signs of climate changes in the southern hemisphere, specifically in the air circulation patterns.

“The challenge was showing that these changing air circulation patterns were due to the shrinking ozone hole following the implementation of the Montreal Protocol.

“The jet stream in the southern hemisphere was gradually shifting towards the south pole in the last decades of the 20th century due to ozone depletion.

“Our study found that movement has stopped since 2000 and might even be reversing. The pause in movement began around the same time that the ozone hole started to recover.

“The emissions of ozone-depleting substances that were responsible for the ozone hole - the CFCs from spray cans and refrigerants – started to decline around 2000, thanks to the Montreal Protocol.”

She added: “It’s not just ozone that affects the jet stream – CO2 also has an effect. What we are seeing is that there is a ‘tug-of-war’ between ozone recovery, which pulls the jet stream one way (to the North), and rising CO2, which pulls the other way (to the South).

“We are seeing the pause in the shifting jet stream because these two forces are currently in balance. That might change in the future when ozone has fully recovered and CO2 carries on pushing it south.”

The impacts of this “pause” in shifting wind patterns varies, meaning parts of the world will be affected differently.

She said: “In Australia, for example, before 2000 in the ozone-depletion era, it was suggested that winters were drying because the jet stream was moving further south and taking rain-bearing storms away from that region. Those changes might now stabilise which could be good news for Australia.

“For other regions like South America, ozone-depletion had caused an expansion of the tropics and led to more rainfall. Bands of agricultural production widened which was good for them but might now stabilise. That has implications for their economies and food security.”

Overall, it is good news for the fight against climate change.

She added: “The second most important point of the study, which I would say is a very good finding, is further evidence that the ozone hole is shrinking and that is thanks to the Montreal Protocol.

“It shows that this international treaty has worked and we can reverse the damage that we’ve already done to our planet. That’s a lesson to us all that can hopefully be applied to our greenhouse gas emissions to tackle climate change.

“If we keep adhering to this protocol then the ozone hole is projected to recover – at different times, in different parts of the atmosphere. In some regions, we think it might happen in the next couple of decades and in others much later in the century.”

Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/ozone-layer-healing-coronavirus-climate-sun-uv-rays-a9429341.html

Cc mynd44 lalasticlala

This virus is no respecter of anyone.

I am praying it doesn't spread so much in Africa as we do not have the means to contain it.

This is very ridiculous

4four:
yes, you are right, that is what is making Buhari not performing well self

Lolzzz... Cos it is caused by corruption

Juventus have immediately stopped all training sessions and put all their Under-23 players in quarantine after a trio from Serie C side Pianese tested positive for the Coronavirus.

The Old Lady announced the decision this evening, because the last opponents they faced were Pianese, who they defeated 1-0. With the illness spreading in that club, it has affected three players and the team manager.

Juve have told their Under-23 players to remain in their homes until March 8, but thankfully nobody has shown symptoms of the respiratory disease.

Before, the total had reached 1,049 of which people tested positive for the Coronavirus in Italy, with the death toll on 29. The latest updates were given by the Italian government, which they now claim has risen to 1,128. The authorities have stated people should remain indoors and avoid contact with others.


Juventus have immediately stopped all training sessions and put all their Under-23 players in quarantine after a trio from Serie C side Pianese tested positive for the Coronavirus.

The Old Lady announced the decision this evening, because the last opponents they faced were Pianese, who they defeated 1-0. With the illness spreading in that club, it has affected three players and the team manager.


Juve have told their Under-23 players to remain in their homes until March 8, but thankfully nobody has shown symptoms of the respiratory disease.

Before, the total had reached 1,049 of which people tested positive for the Coronavirus in Italy, with the death toll on 29. The latest updates were given by the Italian government, which they now claim has risen to 1,128. The authorities have stated people should remain indoors and avoid contact with others.


People who already had pre-existing health conditions are said to be the ones most affected, but Cremona hospital has confirmed “there are some young people in intensive care. This virus is 500 times more ferocious than SARS.”

The most hit areas are Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna, while Bergamo and Milan have also been hit. Juventus’ penultimate clash with Inter Milan, which was scheduled to be played indoors on Saturday evening, was postponed and is set to take place next May, with more matches also expected to be cancelled in the coming days.

Schools will also remain shut in those areas until further notice, while public leisure centres and community centres are also closed. Third-tier football has been suspended, as have rugby, volleyball and basketball leagues.

Both Inter and AC Milan have closed their offices and staff are working from home, in a city where the underground system is eerily quiet and devoid of people.

Restrictions have, however, been lifted in other regions where the outbreak has been largely contained, such as Piedmont, Friuli and Liguria.

Juventus and Milan are set to battle it out next Wednesday in the Coppa Italia semi-final in Turin, with local fans only being allowed to enter the stadium. Thursday’s match between Napoli and Inter at the Stadio San Paolo will only be open to nearby residents too, but the authorities could well postpone both before then. Milan is in Lombardy, so having supporters travel from the most affected area would be considered a danger to public health.

This weekend, Serie A fixtures Udinese-Fiorentina, Milan-Genoa, Parma-SPAL, Sassuolo-Brescia and Juventus-Inter were moved to May 13.

People and fans are reminded to wash their hands thoroughly and wear protective masks and gloves to avoid contamination.

Lalasticlala mynd44 seun mukina2

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/sammay/2020/02/29/breaking-juventus-in-lockdown-as-three-players-test-positive-for-the-coronavirus/amp/

How bad could the pandemic get?
If efforts to contain the virus are successful, your chances of being infected at all will be low. If efforts to contain the virus fail, most of the world’s population could be infected eventually. Health systems may struggle to cope. Shortages of beds, oxygen and ventilators could increase the death rate, while people with other conditions may get substandard treatment. However, there should be enough people well enough to keep the lights on and food in the shops.

Woolhouse thinks the “reasonable worst-case scenario” is something like an extra-bad flu season. Osterholm thinks it could be more like the 1918 flu pandemic. That would be undoubtedly be bad, but won’t resemble any apocalyptic movies.

What’s the best way to keep informed?
There are many untrue claims about covid-19 spreading on social media. Some confusion is also inevitable because there is still much we don’t know about the virus, and the situation varies greatly from place to place and is changing rapidly. So be extra careful about what you share. Look for and follow the latest advice from the WHO and local authorities.

Each of us has a part to play in tackling this outbreak, says Heymann. “We are all in this together,” he says.

What happens if my family or flatmates get sick?
Now is the time to think about what happens if you or people you care about become ill. “Plan who will check up on who,” says Michael Osterholm at the University of Minnesota.

There is a high risk of the virus spreading among people who live together. Ideally, people who are ill should stay in a separate room and use a different bathroom, although this will be difficult in many situations.

If ill people require care, both they and the carer should wear masks, says Heymann. The carer should also wear gloves.

Should I stockpile food or medicine?
Fears of shortages have prompted some people to stockpile, and several covid-19 affected areas have seen panic buying.

There are differing views on stockpiling among experts. “I don’t think it is necessary, and I certainly don’t advise it,” says Mark Woolhouse at the University of Edinburgh, UK.

But Nuzzo thinks there is no harm in people ensuring they have at least three days’ food supply to hand, as is advised during hurricanes. “I’m not saying it’s specifically necessary in this case,” she says.

Virology blogger Ian Mackay recommends slowly building up a “pandemic stash”. “[But] don’t buy things you won’t eat later, don’t hoard and don’t buy more than you’ll need for a 2 week period,” he writes. “We’re not talking zombie apocalypse and we very probably won’t see power or water interruptions either.”

Osterholm says people shouldn’t try to stock up on prescription medicines. “You might create a shortage for others who need it,” he says.

How can I protect myself?
It is being claimed all kinds of things can protect you from the covid-19 virus, from vitamins to garlic. There is no evidence to support most of these claims. However, there is evidence that moderate exercise, adequate sleep and a healthy diet help keep your immune system in shape generally.

We don’t know if smoking increases the risk of people with covid-19 becoming severely ill because China hasn’t been reporting if infected people are smokers, but previous studies have shown that smoking increases the risk of being hospitalised if you get flu. Now is a great time to go on a health kick.

It might also be worth booking yourself in for the flu and pneumococcal vaccines, which are already recommended for people over the age of 65 in the UK. These vaccines won’t prevent infection with the covid-19 virus, but by protecting you from other infections they will help ease the burden on health services. Fewer people coming down with diseases with similar symptoms to covid-19 will also make the situation easier to control, says Jennifer Nuzzo at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore, Maryland.

How can I avoid infecting others?
If you are ill and think you might have covid-19, don’t go to a doctor or to a hospital because you might infect others. Stay at home and call your local heath authority. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, you should seek medical attention, the WHO says.

If you absolutely have to go out, wear a face mask. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough, and throw it away afterwards. If you don’t have a tissue, cough into your bent elbow, not your hand.

There are various winter viruses circulating in the northern hemisphere right now, and if you come down with norovirus, for example, it is a good idea to stay at home until several days after symptoms finish. This will help reduce the spread of infections that would exacerbate the strain on health services, and make it easier to track those who really have covid-19.

It is no longer news that the Coronavirus is here in Nigeria. This post is for educating us on the facts about Coronavirus and how to prepare and protect ourselves and loved ones from it.

With coronavirus outbreaks in Europe and the Middle East, the covid-19 virus appears to be going pandemic. As public concern increases worldwide, unscientific and unreliable advice on how to protect yourself is now rife, proliferating on social media and through messaging apps. Here’s what you really need to know.

How bad is the infection?
More than 80 per cent of people infected develop only mild symptoms, such as a fever and a cough. Only around 1 in 100 people die – those who do are usually older and have existing health problems, such as heart disease or diabetes. No deaths have been reported in children under 9 years old.

How do people catch it?
The virus is thought to be transmitted by droplets emitted when people sneeze, cough or even just talk, says David Heymann at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who led the global efforts to contain SARS. If you are within 2 or 3 metres of an infected person, you can breathe in those droplets directly. The longer you are near them, the greater the risk.

Surfaces can be contaminated by falling droplets, or by people coughing into their hand before pressing a button, say. If you touch a contaminated surface and then touch your eyes, nose or face, you can become infected. Faeces from infected people might also be infectious.

How can I avoid catching it?
You can minimise your risk of catching the coronavirus through “social distancing” and good hygiene. Move at least a metre away from anyone who appears ill if you can. Don’t shake hands, hug or kiss people as a greeting. Wash your hands often with soap and water, or use an alcohol hand rub, especially after touching surfaces that might be contaminated.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says there is no need for healthy people to wear face masks. It also says there is no evidence that pets can get and spread covid-19, or that the virus can be passed on via letters, packages or food.

Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2235539-coronavirus-what-you-need-to-know-to-prepare-for-a-covid-19-pandemic/#ixzz6FH33W6vx

lalasticlala, mynd44

It is time we educated ourselves properly about this Coronavirus, its effects, myths and facts to avoid unnecessary panic and to also prevent further spread due to ignorance.

This is not a time to throw blames on the government or the Italian who brought it here as these things are not as straightforward to control as we may imagine. Even the advanced countries are having a hard time dealing with it as there is no conclusive theory on how it is contracted or spread.

We have to act together. Protect ourselves and our families. Avoid very close person to person contact. Maintain good hygiene. We have to reduce/regulate public gatherings like churches, mosques, schools etc. Our public transportation system is a major worry as the poor masses get to be stuffed together in very tight vehicles/bikes. We have to create awareness about this.

Smotaj:
OP I think you are not right.
Agu in Igbo is Tiger while Lion is Odum.
Please be guided, isiagu has a deep ancestry to ndi igbo. This could be visible in title and names like Ogbuagu, Agunna, Agulanna, Obeagu, Agudo, Okeagu, Agummadu, Agummo.

If you don't understand the Igbo history please don't distort it.

How would they have had a name for an animal they never encountered? This is ancient history/tradition not that after NatGeoWild.

This life is funny

Just this morning

cassbeat:
Lol I agree o. But Nigeria's own is man made not natural...

Imagine what would happen if we had these natural disasters in addition...

Everyday we see news of fire incidents caused by tankers. The same thing everyday yet we haven't considered how we can stop it. We just mourn and carry on with our lives.

I agree with your previous post that we are lucky... Lol

sassysure:

Midland.

Haven't gone out so I don't know if there is any major damage around.

I see. Moved around Coventry today, no visible damages so far.

More...

A trampoline was blown onto train tracks in Chelsfield

One Twitter user shared a picture of a tree which had blown across a road in Wigan

Another photo showed a fallen tree blocking a road in Gloucester