Researchers developing nasal spray to provide Covid protection and treatment
Since the early days of the pandemic, scientists have been developing antibodies as treatments for Covid-19. Today, several such antibodies are in late-stage clinical trials and a handful have been approved for emergency use by regulatory agencies in the United States and elsewhere. Among doctors, however, antibody treatments have not...
Colour bar: Raging coronavirus in the US demonstrates how race matters for health
The coronavirus pandemic has, once again, highlighted the complex links between inequality, racism and disease risk in America. According to Harvard public health scholar David Williams, although the pandemic affects everyone, but in the United States, communities of colour have recorded a disproportionate number of cases, hospitalisations and deaths. Dr...
Stakeholders fear Pakistan’s proposed media law will stifle Press freedom
Pakistani media stakeholders are calling on the Pakistan government to withdraw a proposed Pakistan Media Regularity Authority (PMDA) ordinance they fear will stop the flow of information in the country and restrict free, independent and responsible media. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Pakistan Federal Union...
Sea transport experiencing boom in ships that fly ‘fake’ flags, pollute environment
Ships transport 90 per cent of the world’s traded cargo, so are crucial to the global economy. But when tankers and other large vessels are demolished, they generate huge amounts of marine pollution, particularly if it happens in countries where environmental regulations for ship-breaking yards are lax. Research now shows...
With over four million people living around it, Lake Kivu a potential deadly natural disaster
If Kivu were to experience a limnic eruption, says limnologist Sally MacIntyre, “it would be completely catastrophic.” And the spread of the lava from Mt Nyiragongo that erupted recently is testimony to the fears expressed by MacIntyre, a researcher at the University of California, Santa Barbara. This isn’t just a...
Recent Mt Nyiragongo eruption has switched attention to the dangers lurking in Lake Kivu
Kivu is no ordinary lake, with dense depths packed with methane and carbon dioxide gas. Its features hold aquatic puzzles, explosive hazards and the capacity to provide valuable energy. The unique makeup of Africa’s Lake Kivu prevents the mixing typically seen in other deep lakes, leading to unusual stratification of...
