Coronavirus
German pharmacists develop gargle test to detect coronavirus
Pharmacists at Germany’s University of Halle-Wittenberg have developed a way of detecting small amounts of coronavirus in gargling solution, a technique which could be used for testing. The study used samples of a solution that patients infected with the coronavirus had gargled with, successfully tracing the virus with a technique called mass spectrometry, the university said in a statement on Wednesday. The institution said the new method must be further refined before it could be used as a standard diagnostic tool to complement existing coronavirus tests. The test is highly specific as it targets protein components that exist only in the novel coronavirus, also known as Sars-CoV-2. “We measure direct peptides coming from the virus, not the genetic material,’’ Andrea Sinz, who worked on t...
Banksy’s New Artwork Was Inspired by Coronavirus and… Chumbawamba
Bansky is at it again. The secretive English street artist, known for his provocative takes on everything from the high society art world to Paris Hilton’s debut album, has commented on the coronavirus pandemic in his latest piece — all while sneaking in a Chumbawamba reference, because of course he did. Banksy announced his new piece via a video on his Instagram page. Entitled “if you don’t mask – you don’t get”, the artwork was “installed” on a London Underground train, and consists of his own tag sprayed in that familiar shade of N95 mask blue, surrounded by stenciled rats, a common motif in his work. One of the rats uses a face mask as a parachute while another sneezes, shooting blue liquid everywhere — it represents the novel coronavirus’ dynamic aerosol efficiency, duh! The enigmatic...
How We Work Now: Sofar Sounds VP City Operations Amanda Presson
In a series amid the coronavirus pandemic, Billboard is asking individuals from all sectors of the music business to share stories of how they work now, with much of the world quarantined at home and unable to take in-person meetings, attend conferences or even go into the office. Submissions for the series can be sent to HowWeWorkNow@Billboard.com. Read the full series here. This installment is with Amanda Presson, vp of city operations at intimate concert series company Sofar Sounds. Amanda Presson: [The shutdown] was such a huge shift for us, because we are so focused on the live event experience and bringing our communities together in person. After we had to halt our core business, our first thought went to, “How do we continue to support artists?” That was such a big part of our miss...
Movie Theaters in California to Close Immediately Due to Coronavirus Spike
After a spike in COVID-19 cases during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, California Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered all movie theaters in the state to close immediately … again, reports Variety. The government mandate follows Newsom’s previous announcement that movie theaters in almost 20 counties, including Los Angeles County, would be closed for three weeks. After seeing the latest data, he decided to double down and closing all movie theaters across the state. Those numbers reveal that, over the past two weeks, California’s hospitalizations have risen by 28% and ICU admissions have increased by 20%. “This virus is not going away anytime soon,” explained Newsom during a news conference on Monday. “I hope all of us recognize that if we are still connected to some notion that somehow whe...
US judge orders delay of first federal executions in 17 years
Associated Press A U.S. judge on Monday ordered a delay in federal executions, hours before one was to be carried out for the first time in 17 years, hampering the Trump administration’s plan to revive capital punishment by the federal government. Washington district Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a preliminary injunction to allow the continuation of legal challenges of four death row inmates against the government’s new lethal injection protocol announced last year. “The public is not served by short-circuiting legitimate judicial processes,” she wrote in an order. The Department of Justice immediately appealed the ruling. The department planned to carry out the first executions at a federal level since 2003 over the next few weeks, starting with Daniel Lewis Lee, who is convicted of murder, ...
Zendaya and John David Washington Filmed a New Movie During Quarantine
While everyone was busy socially distancing and following quarantine rules, Zendaya and John David Washington were filming a new movie — and not from the comfort of their computer screens or private homes either. The movie is called Malcolm & Marie and it’s directed by Sam Levinson, the creator of Euphoria. The group shot scenes discreetly between June 17th and July 2nd at the Caterpillar House, an “an environmentally conscious glass architectural marvel” in Carmel, California, reports Deadline. What’s more, production on the film is apparently already completed. The idea first came from Zendaya, who called Levinson asking if he could write and direct a movie during quarantine. Within six days, he had a script ready to go and the hope of casting the Tenet star alongside her. The next b...
Reckitt Benckiser donates N65m worth of hygiene products to Nigerian government
Reckitt Benckiser (RB), makers of Dettol and Jik, has donated hygiene products worth N65 million to Federal Ministry of Health to enable it respond to coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria, improve access to health, hygiene and nutrition for Nigerians. Donated items included hygiene products such as antiseptic disinfectants, dettol soaps, Jik bleach, full Personal Protective Equipments (PPE), and 100 mobile hand wash units to be installed at locations as advised by the ministry of health. The donations which was presented by representatives of RB at the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, was received by the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, in company of other senior ministry officials. In his remarks, the Minister thanked RB for the donations, stating that “you have been in business for f...
FCT health secretary discharged from isolation centre
The Acting Secretary of the FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat, Dr Mohammed Kawu, has been discharged from the Asokoro District Hospital, Abuja, where he has been receiving treatment for COVID 19. Kawu disclosed this in a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists in Abuja on Saturday moments after he was declared free of the Coronavirus. It would be recalled that the Acting Secretary had announced that he and some members of his family had contracted the disease about two weeks ago. Speaking about his experience as a Coronavirus patient, Kawu said he had moderate to severe symptoms. “I developed a chest infection, so I had to be on antibiotics for some days. But thank God, myself and members of my family do not have the symptoms again and we have been discharg...
O.J. Simpson Parties in Vegas Without a Face Mask
O.J. Simpson, photo via TMZ For O.J. Simpson, the glove doesn’t fit… nor does the face mask. As TMZ reports, the If I Did It author was spotted partying it up in Las Vegas this past week. There was little in the way of social distancing, and only a few of the party’s attendees could be seen wearing facial coverings (Simpson was not among them). The Juice further flaunted CDC guidelines by exchanging hugs and other human-to-human contact with fellow guests. Nevada has seen an uptick in coronavirus cases in the last week; this past Friday alone resulted in 1,004 new cases, the second-biggest daily increase in the state since the outbreak began. At 74 years old and with a history of health problems, Simpsons is in a higher-risk category for coronavirus. Editor’s Note: Stay...
Racist President Wears Mask Publicly After 132K Die In U.S. From Coronavirus
Source: ALEX EDELMAN / Getty Donald Trump, the racist President of the United States, finally wore a mask in public on Saturday (July 11). It happened to finally occur only after 132,000 people have died from the coronavirus in the nation. The Orange Oaf donned the mask while visiting Walter Reed hospital. Reports the New York Times: President Trump on Saturday wore a mask in public for the first time, after repeated urging from aides that it was a necessary message to send to Americans. Mr. Trump wore a dark mask affixed with the presidential seal during a visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He was surrounded by Secret Service agents and others also wearing masks. The president had repeatedly dismissed suggestions that he should wear a face covering, frequ...
NGO distributes palliatives to physically changed
Lola Cater for the Needy Foundation, an Abuja-based non-governmental organisation, has distributed some palliative materials to the People Living With Disabiluties (PLWDs) in Karamajiji, Abuja. The organisation visited the PLWDs colony on Saturday where it distributed food stuffs, instructional materials on COVID-19, stationery items , cloths, shoes, hand sanitiser, liquid soap and water dispensers. Miss Ololade Ogunnubi, Founder of the organisation, said that the organisation also embarked on sensitisation of the community to the effects of COVID-19 pandemic and ways to prevent the virus. Ogunnubi said that the campaign was aimed at making persons with disabilities aware of the pandemic and also to provide palliatives to them. The campaign which took place at the the physically challenged...
Great White Plays Coronavirus Concert With No Social Distancing
Great White, the band that famously killed 100 people after setting off pyrotechnics inside of a small club, is at it again. The veteran rockers played a concert in Dickinson, North Dakota this past Thursday with no social distancing or any other safety protocols. The concert was part of a concert series called “First on First”, which flaunts the fact that it has no safety restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic. “We do not have restrictions, believe it or not, we don’t have any,” April Getz, an event coordinator for the concert series, told The Dickinson Press. “It’s one of those things where if people feel comfortable coming down and mixing and mingling, that’s their personal choice. We’re leaving it up to everybody that chooses to attend.” As you can see from the footage embedded bel...
