In the spotlight
Coronavirus fears shut bars, borders; WHO urges world to ‘test, test, test’
japantoday, 16.03.2020
Bars, restaurants, cinemas and schools were shutting down from New York and Los Angeles to Paris and Dubai in a worldwide effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic, as financial markets tumbled despite emergency action by global central banks.
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How the U.S. and Europe can learn from Asia’s battle against virus
japantimes, 13.03.2020
Even before COVID-19, China, Hong Kong and some Southeast Asian nations had weathered the outbreak of SARS in 2003 and, more recently, the onset of MERS and swine fever, giving them experience in tackling the spread of infectious diseases, said Kenji Shibuya, a professor at King’s College London.
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Corona scare? Medical intelligence to the rescue
forbes, 12.03.2020
These days, hysteria is spreading as more and more details regarding the Coronavirus are being revealed, and the virus is rapidly taking its toll. After realizing just how little we really know about the Virus and its spread worldwide, we now understand that knowledge is a critical tool for managing this crisis.
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Agriculture & Environment
New evidence shows how COVID-19 has affected global air pollution
sciencealert, 17.03.2020
The COVID-19 pandemic is getting more overwhelming by the day, with increasing lockdowns, a death toll of more than 7,000 people But if there’s a sliver of good news, it’s about how the spread of the new coronavirus has been decreasing air pollution, and possibly even saving lives in the process.
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Coronavirus lockdown likely saved 77,000 lives in China just by reducing pollution
forbes, 16.03.2020
China’s coronavirus lockdown likely saved tens of thousands of lives by slashing air pollution from factories and vehicles, according to a new analysis by a Stanford University scientist.
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Will coronavirus go away in the spring? How warmer weather will impact COVID-19
lbc, 16.03.2020
Will coronavirus go away in the spring? Experts have their say. Coronavirus is spreading fast in the UK and globally but will spring weather help slow it down? Here’s what experts think about the impact of spring.
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Transport & Energy
‘Viruses don’t carry passports:’ Why travel bans won’t work to stop spread of COVID-19
CBC, 13.03.2020
Travellers are pictured wearing face masks at Vancouver International Airport on Thursday. Canada needs to maintain its current evidence-based approach to outbreak response and not take any knee-jerk reactions that might be motivated by other considerations, one pandemic expert says.
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Travel industry under siege as coronavirus contagion grows
reuters, 13.03.2020
The fallout from the coronavirus spread across the Pacific on Friday, with Australian travel firms issuing profit warnings and Japanese carriers cutting capacity, while U.S. airlines rushed to cut flights to Europe in the wake of new travel restrictions.
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Information society
Coronavirus: how Artificial Intelligence, data science and technology is used to fight the pandemic
forbes, 13.03.2020
Since the first report of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China, it has spread to at least 100 other countries. As China initiated its response to the virus, it leaned on its strong technology sector and specifically artificial intelligence (AI), data science, and technology to track and fight the pandemic while tech leaders, including Alibaba, Baidu, Huawei and more accelerated their company’s healthcare initiatives.
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Coronavirus: How can AI help fight the pandemic?
bbc, 12.03.2020
There is growing fear about the spread of the virus. Executives from Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Apple and Facebook met officials at Downing Street on Wednesday to discuss their role in the coronavirus crisis. One of the things discussed was their role in “modelling and tracking data”.
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Food & Health
Coronavirus treatment: Trails have begun for first experimental vaccine to treat COVID-19
firstpost, 17.03.2020
U.S. researchers gave the first shots in a first test of an experimental coronavirus vaccine Monday, leading off a worldwide hunt for protection even as the pandemic surges.
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Coronavirus: Australian scientists map how immune system fights virus
bbc, 17.03.2020
Scientists in Australia say they have identified how the body’s immune system fights the Covid-19 virus. Their research, published in Nature Medicine journal on Tuesday, shows people are recovering from the new virus like they would from the flu.
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‘Exciting scientific breakthrough’: Israeli vaccine against #COVID-19 ready within three months ?
eureporter, 11.03.2020
As the coronavirus crisis spreads worldwide, scientists at an Israeli research institute are expected to start producing a Covid-19 vaccine within three months, based on a vaccine they have developed against avian coronavirus, a disease affecting poultry.
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Science policy & Communication
The coronavirus fake news pandemic sweeping WhatsApp
politico, 17.03.2020
The voice of the woman, introducing herself as “Elisabeth … you know, Poldi’s mom,” sounded genuinely concerned. A friend of hers, who was a doctor at the university hospital of Vienna, had called her with a warning, she said in German.
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People at increased risk From COVID-19 are taking to Twitter to plea for social distancing
forbes, 15.03.2020
Data has shown that the elderly are more likely to experience severe disease and/or die from COVID-19, whereas the young appear to be least at risk from severe disease. However, many on Twitter are trying to bust the myth that it is only the elderly at heightened risk from COVID-19 and are urging others to practice social distancing to help protect them during the outbreak.
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EU initiatives
Coronavirus: Europe plans full border closure in virus battle
bbc, 17.03.2020
France has ordered people to stay at home and only go out for essential duties. The European Commission is planning to ban all non-essential travel throughout Europe’s Schengen free travel zone as more countries close their borders in a bid to limit the spread of coronavirus.
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What if we could fight coronavirus with artificial intelligence?
europarl, 10.03.2020
AT A GLANCE Scientific Foresight: What if? EPRSEuropean Parliamentary Research Service, Unit for Science and Technology Options Assessment (STOA) – What if we could fight coronavirus with artificial intelligence? Analytics have changed the way disease outbreaks are tracked and managed, thereby saving lives.
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Curious news
COVID-19 school closures open door for housekeepers and babysitters in Japan
japantimes, 13.03.2020
A tipping point came last month when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe requested that all elementary, junior high and high schools shut down temporarily, starting March 2, to contain the spread of infection. Companies spotted an opportunity to persuade parents to make the leap, and began offering free services and discounts.
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Want to boost your immune system? A healthy diet is an important start.
forbes, 11.03.2020
Fears around coronavirus are rising – and there seems to be little we’re advised to do in-between washing our hands regularly, and self-isolating. But another way we can help put ourselves in the best position to avoid the virus – and any other cold and flu viruses – is through our diet.
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