Non-pharmaceutical interventions have been implemented to reduce transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the UK. Projecting the size of an unmitigated epidemic and the potential effect of different control measures has been crucial to support evidence-based policy making during the early stages of the epidemic. This study assesses the potential impact of different control measures for mitigating the burden of COVID-19 in the UK.Click here for reference<...

Questions raised over study claiming drug linked to higher rate of mortality and heart problems in Covid-19 patients

The World Health Organization will resume clinical trials of an anti-malaria drug researchers hope may treat Covid-19, after a study of the drug published in May by a major medical journal prompted them to halt trials due to safety concerns.

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Spanish coronavirus patients are taking trips to the seaside as part of their recovery from the illness.

Medical teams at the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona have been photographed wheeling people to the beach as part of a programme designed to humanise intensive care units.

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The European Commission has mobilised an additional €122 million from its research and innovation programme, Horizon 2020, for urgently needed research into the coronavirus. The call addresses the following topics. 


Repurposing of manufacturing for vital medical supplies and equipment

Medical technologies, Digital tools and Artificial Intelligence (AI) analytics to improve surveillance and care at high Technology Readiness Levels (TRL)

Behavioural, social and economic...

South Korea is testing a new QR code tracing system to track visitors at entertainment venues, restaurants and churches as it battles to contain persistent clusters of infection. It comes as Pakistan’s prime minister, Imran Khan, called for people to “live with the virus”.



A church-linked Covid-19 cluster of 40 cases in the Seoul metropolitan area has been the third major flare-up in recent weeks, following more than 250 infcections stemming from nightclubs and bars in the ...

The increased use of antibiotics to combat the Covid-19 pandemic will strengthen bacterial resistance and ultimately lead to more deaths during the crisis and beyond, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.



WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday that a “worrying number” of bacterial infections were becoming increasingly resistant to the medicines traditionally used to treat them.



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The following is a brief roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.


In-home COVID-19 antibody test shows high accuracy

Recovering surgery patients at risk from coronavirus

Immune system overreaction may not be cause of bad outcomes

COVID-19 survivors will need rehab therapy, experts say

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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes COVID-19 and is spread person-to-person through close contact. We aimed to investigate the effects of physical distance, face masks, and eye protection on virus transmission in health-care and non-health-care (eg, community) settings.Click here for reference

App measures proximityThe tracking app, called StopCovid, uses bluetooth to trace when a phone is in proximity to others who have the application.Once someone records a positive test for COVID-19, the application sends out an alert to those who have been in contact with that person for more than 15 minutes so they can self-isolate to prevent further spread of the virus.The phone app does not reveal the identity of the person who tests positive for coronavirus.Click here for reference

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App measures proximityThe tracking app, called StopCovid, uses bluetooth to trace when a phone is in proximity to others who have the application.Once someone records a positive test for COVID-19, the application sends out an alert to those who have been in contact with that person for more than 15 minutes so they can self-isolate to prevent further spread of the virus.The phone app does not reveal the identity of the person who tests positive for coronavirus.Click here for reference

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An effective track-and-trace system to prevent a second coronavirus peak will not only save lives, it could reduce the number of working hours lost to illness by as much as 50%, according to a major global study.

The International Labour Organisation said the effective testing and tracing of infections was essential if employers wanted staff to return to work and for them to stay healthy.


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Manila’s 12 million residents to enjoy free movement as daily infections pass 500; Mumbai’s hospital close to collapse; South Korea records dozens more cases. 



The Philippines president has announced plans to ease one of longest and toughest coronavirus lockdowns in the world despite the country seeing its biggest daily spike in cases since the pandemic began.
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