Health

WHO says “lockdown” not enough; urges aggressive isolation, testing, treatment and tracing of cases

  (Eagle News) – The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries currently implementing a lockdown, to go one step further in attacking the virus spread by strengthening and expanding the public health force and to aggressively “isolate, test, treat and trace” coronavirus cases. “We have overcome many pandemics and crises before. We will overcome this one too. The question is how large a price we will pay?” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, […]

Coronavirus transmission during pregnancy rare but possible: study

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Chinese scientists reported Thursday it is possible, although rare, for pregnant mothers with the COVID-19 illness to pass the infection down to their babies. The team followed 33 pregnant women from Wuhan, the city where the disease behind a deadly pandemic was first identified — and found that three babies were infected with the new coronavirus at birth (a rate of nine percent, albeit in a very small sample). They […]

Shortages hamper mass virus testing goals

by Paul RICARD PARIS, France (AFP) — “Test, test, test”. The World Health Organisation’s prescription for success in wrestling the new coronavirus pandemic under control may seem simple. So why are so few countries able to follow it? While nations like South Korea have been praised for their decisive efforts to control the spread of the virus with mass screening, experts say many other countries have been unable to emulate their approach. WHO chief Tedros […]

Loss of smell could reveal hidden virus cases: experts

by Kelly MACNAMARA PARIS, France (AFP) — From a mother unable to smell her baby’s nappy to a lawmaker who suddenly could not taste the food, some coronavirus patients have described a loss of olfactory senses — and experts say this might be a new way to detect the virus. Ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists in Britain, the United States and France have noted a growing number of patients in recent weeks with anosmia […]

More than 100,000 persons have already recovered from COVID-19, says latest data on global cases

  (Eagle News) – More than 100,000 patients who were infected with the coronavirus disease have already recovered or have been cured of the disease, according to the latest data on the global virus cases from the Johns Hopkins University. Most of the 100,982 recovered patients were from China which reported total recoveries of almost 73,000, or 72,819 to be exact. This was out of 81,498 confirmed cases. This means that almost 90 percent of […]

Chloroquine allowed by France to treat gravest virus cases: official

PARIS, France (AFP) — The anti-malarial drug chloroquine can be administered in France to patients suffering from the severest forms of the coronavirus but only under strict supervision, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Monday. Citing a ruling adopted after a meeting of France’s high public health council, Veran said the drug could not be used to treat milder cases of the illness. Some researchers have said chloroquine shows great promise as a treatment, though […]

WATCH: Five 30-second indoor exercises

WASHINGTON DC (Eagle News) — Looking for a quick morning workout but can’t get to the gym? Or following the #StayAtHome trend, EBC Washington DC Bureau Correspondent Ken Cruz, shows EBC International viewers quick and easy workouts. © Eagle News

European clinical trial starts on possible coronavirus treatments

  A European clinical trial involving some 3,200 people has been launched to test four possible experimental treatments against the coronavirus. The four treatments to be studied are remdesivir, lopinavir and ritonavir in combination, the latter being administered with or without interferon beta and hydroxychloroquine, French public health research body Inserm said in a statement on Sunday. People taking part in the study will have been hospitalised with COVID-19 infection and are expected to be […]

Worldwide virus lockdowns as WHO warns young people ‘not invincible’

  by Dmitry Zaks, with AFP bureaus Agence France Presse Hundreds of millions of people worldwide kicked off the weekend under a coronavirus lockdown, as the global death toll accelerated sharply and the World Health Organization warned the young they were “not invincible”. The pandemic has completely upended lives across the planet, sharply restricting the movement of huge populations, shutting down schools and businesses, and forcing millions to work from home — while many have […]

“Buhay Bahay” of EBC’s “E25 Records” gives a positive take on life under community quarantine

  (Eagle News) – How will you deal with life under quarantine or social distancing amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak worldwide? This song, “Buhay Bahay” (House Life) of E25 Records performed by Filipino rapper “Rapido” describes how this life is as millions of people affected by this virus is changing lifestyles across the world. In the song, E25 Records artist Rapido gives a positive spin and some advice to those forced to life under […]