Month: April 2020
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Why is the coronavirus sparing kids?
In this March article published by The Washington Post, authors William Wan and Joel Achenbach explore the viable reasons why the novel coronavirus is leaving children virtually untouched. Was it the immune system that determined who lives or dies? Vineet Mernachery, a virologist from the University of Texas Medical Branch says critical cases may be due…
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Stanford doctor calls for the end of total lockdowns in the US
In this article published by The Hill Dr. Scott Atlas says that there is enough data that supports the end of total lockdown in US states. He says that instead of overemphasizing estimates, leaders must utilize empirical evidence and the fundamentals of biology when creating COVID-19 response policies and guidelines. In this article, Atlas highlighted five key…
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Stockholm, Sweden expected to reach collective immunity in weeks
In an interview with CNBC last April 22, 2020, Sweden’s chief epidemiologist Anders Tegnell said that they are already seeing the effects of collective immunity in Stockholm and several major parts of Sweden. Tegnell made this pronouncement as growth rate of infections is starting to plateau in the capital city and situation is stable in the rest…
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How you can boost your immune system
Boosting your immune system is tricky because there is no single food or drug that can guarantee positive results. The immune system is precisely that – a system, not a single entity. To function well, it requires balance and harmony [see What Happens When You Boost Your Immune System? to better understand how the immune…
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Philippine president decides to extend lockdown to 15 May 2020: Response of Nicanor Perlas
Today, morning of 24 April 2020, Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte (PRRD) announced his decision to extend the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) from April 30 to 15 May 2020. ECQ is the official name of the total lockdown approach that the government adopted in the Philippines. Earlier, on April 19, on the basis of new…
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Lockdown extended to May 15
President Duterte has announced today the extension of the ECQ to May 15 in high-risk areas such as NCR. Meanwhile, some provinces have been reclassified as low-risk areas and will be placed under a General Community Quarantine (GCQ). Under GCQ, businesses are allowed to open subject to strict health guidelines.
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Danish parents refuse to send their children to school after government lifts lockdown
After a month of lockdown, Danish authorities have finally re-opened schools and day care centers. The decision came as infectious diseases experts recognize that new infections in school-age children are unproblematic as very few fall ill, and those who do don’t get very sick. Despite the strict guidelines imposed to prevent a second wave of…
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The Scientist Behind Sweden’s Controversial Coronavirus Strategy Weighs in on the Effectiveness of the Approach
As the number of Swedish deaths because of the coronavirus goes beyond the 1,000 mark, many are already expecting the country’s change of strategy – from a relatively lenient approach to a country-wide lockdown. In this interview with Nature, Swedish epidemiologist Anders Tegnell continues to defend the approach, saying that closing borders is “ridiculous” especially since the…
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European countries begin plans for gradual lifting of lockdowns
As surges in the number of daily infections begin to subside in Europe, countries have started plans to lift some mobility restrictions in order to restart their economies [evidence shows that this is a recurring pattern among countries, regardless of the approach they used to reduce infections, read COVID–19 Growth Rate Declining Worldwide]. In Denmark…
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Antibody testing shows coronavirus infected a lot more people than previously thought
In this article written by Kari Paul for The Guardian, we are introduced to a study from Stanford University which shows that the novel coronavirus could be more widespread than previously projected. Extrapolating the results of the antibody tests in Sta. Clara county in California, the researchers state that the virus could be 50 to 85…
