Hong Kong dodged a major coronavirus outbreak — without resorting to a complete lockdown — by using a combination of targeted isolation and social distancing. As of March 31, the region had only 715 confirmed cases of COVID-19 — including 94 asymptomatic cases — and four deaths among the population of 7.5 million. Experts from from … Read more
His face contorted with worry, a young casualty doctor sends a desperate message to the world. He has watched over the beds of hundreds of coronavirus patients, and now believes they are dying because of the very treatment that is meant to save them. After being rushed into hospital, they are knocked out by sedatives … Read more
A British Airways crew has flown 2.5million pieces of PPE equipment back to the UK from China in a 28-hour non-stop mercy mission. Seven pilots and six crew made the trip to pick up the supplies and bring them back to be used by NHS frontline staff amid a nationwide shortage. Every seat on the … Read more
A new type of smart fabric developed in China heats or cools the skin of its wearer depending on the weather. Scientists took sugar from the skeleton of shellfish to form microscopic holes, which contain a chemical that absorbs and releases thermal energy. This allows the fabric to adapt to changing weather conditions, keeping its … Read more
MEMOIR THE COLOUR OF THE SKY AFTER RAIN by Tessa Keswick (Head of Zeus £30, 384 pp) When King George III’s ambassador was trying to negotiate a trade deal in China in 1793, he decided to curry favour with the Emperor by presenting him with a carriage which, thanks to advanced British engineering, was the … Read more
President Donald Trump savaged the ‘China centric’ World Health Organization on Tuesday and said he wanted the group looked into before any more U.S. dollars flow that way. ‘They called it wrong, they called it wrong, they missed the call,’ Trump said during his daily White House press briefing. ‘They should have known and they probably … Read more
The antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine did not speed up coronavirus patients’ recovery in a trial in China, scientists have revealed. In a disappointing blow for the promising drug, which is being trialled against COVID-19 in the UK and around the world, doctors said it did not work as a cure. Patients who were taking it suffered … Read more
Face masks could soon be an everyday sight in Britain as health officials admit that they are reconsidering their advice for people not to wear them. In countries such as China, Japan and South Korea, wearing face masks when you’re ill is common – East Asia has learned from deadly virus outbreaks in the past. … Read more
China may have secretly set off low-level underground nuclear test explosions despite claiming to observe an international pact banning such blasts, the U.S. State Department said in a report on Wednesday that could further fray U.S.-Chinese relations. The finding may worsen ties already strained after President Donald Trump said the U.S. is investigating the possibility … Read more
What is the coronavirus? A coronavirus is a type of virus which can cause illness in animals and people. Viruses break into cells inside their host and use them to reproduce itself and disrupt the body’s normal functions. Coronaviruses are named after the Latin word ‘corona’, which means crown, because they are encased by a … Read more