(2020-03-22). Iconic opera star Placido Domingo tests positive for coronavirus. rt.com 
Opera superstar Placido Domingo has said he's contracted the dreaded Covid-19 virus, taking a moment to urge his fans to follow basic health guidelines, as the death toll from the pandemic keeps growing. | "I feel it is my moral duty to announce to you that I have tested positive for COVID19, the Corona virus," the singer said on Facebook on Sunday. | Domingo and his family will remain in self isolation "as long as it is deemed medically necessary." | The star got tested for the virus after he "experienced fever and cough symptoms" and the results came back positive. |
(2020-03-22). 'Stay indoors & healthy': India holds coronavirus 'self-curfew drill' as infections reach 300,000 globally. rt.com 
As a part of a drill to increase Covid-19 pandemic awareness and prepare for the worst, India has launched a 14-hour 'self curfew' to test Indians' readiness for social isolation and quarantine. | "Let us all be a part of this curfew, which will add tremendous strength to the fight against [the] Covid-19 menace," Indian PM Narendra Modi tweeted minutes before the 'self-curfew' went into effect. | The steps we take now will help in the times to come. | In a few minutes from now, the Let us all be a part…
(2020-03-22). Rand Paul becomes first US senator to test POSITIVE for coronavirus. rt.com 
Senator Rand Paul has tested positive for coronavirus and is in quarantine, the Kentucky Republican is the first member of the upper chamber of Congress to contract the virus. | The politician revealed the news on his official Twitter account, announcing that he is "feeling fine" and has not displayed any symptoms of the Covid-19 illness. The Twitter statement said that he was tested "out of an abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events". | Senator Rand Paul has tested positive for COVID-19. He is feeling fine and is in quarantine. He is asymptomatic and was tested out of an abundance of cauti…
(2020-03-22). Nude Madonna calls coronavirus the 'great equalizer' in bizarre video, inspires instant mockery. rt.com 
A video of a naked Madonna emotionally saying the coronavirus has "made us all equal" while in a bathtub has people both confused and mocking the 'Like a Prayer' singer. | "It's the great equalizer and what's terrible about it is what's great about it," Madonna says about the coronavirus in the video, which was posted to her Twitter account on Sunday. | "What's terrible about it is that it's made us all equal in many ways and what's wonderful about is that it's made us all equal in many ways," the singer goes on to say from the bathtub adorned with flower petals. In her caption for the video, she calls the qui…
(2020-03-22). Virologists Sent to Italy Have Practical Experience in Combating Viral Infections – Moscow. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Virologists, who were sent to Italy to help combat the coronavirus pandemic, have extensive practical experience, as they took part in eliminating outbreaks of African Swine Fever, anthrax and were involved in developing a vaccine against Ebola, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Sunday.
(2020-03-22). India Pushes for Speedy Research on COVID-19, Allows National Labs to Carry Out Clinical Trials. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): India earlier set up an empowered panel for COVID-19 to coordinate scientific research to develop a solution to the viral infection. So far, India has reported five deaths and 324 active coronavirus cases, including 41 foreign nationals.
(2020-03-22). Fiddle While Rome is Burning: Strip Club in New York City Throws Coronavirus-Themed Party. sputniknews.com New York City currently has one of the highest numbers of coronavirus cases in the United States — 4,400. This accounts for almost 30 percent of all cases in the country. The governor of New York has told all residents to stay indoors in order to prevent the spread of the infectious disease.
(2020-03-22). Ex-Man Utd Star's Wife Makes Uplifting Post-Coronavirus Promise in Nude Instagram Post. sputniknews.com Javier Hernandez's better half has indulged in a bit of nostalgia amid the coronavirus chaos, posting a throwback to the old days of her riding naked on a horseback along an empty picturesque coastline.
(2020-03-22). Turkey 'neutralizes' 5 YPG/PKK terrorists in N.Iraq. yenisafak.com Turkish security forces "neutralized" five YPG/PKK terrorists in northern Iraq, the National Defense Ministry announced on Sunday.The terrorists were neutralized in the Hakurk region in air-backed operations, the ministry said on Twitter.Turkish authorities often use the term "neutralized" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.The ministry added that the country's anti-terror operations will continue without letup.YPG/PKK terrorists often seek shelter in northern Iraq, just across the Turkish border, to plan terrorist attacks in Turkey.In its more than 30-year terror campaign…
(2020-03-22). NBA star Jamal Murray apologizes after sex video ends up on Instagram. rt.com 
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray says he was the victim of a hack attack after an X-rated video was posted to his Instagram stories in the early hours of Sunday morning. | Murray, 23, found himself trending on Twitter for all the wrong reasons after basketball fans checking his social media output were greeted with the unexpected clip. | The video, which ran for around 20 seconds, was shot from a top-down perspective and showed a man receiving oral sex from a blonde woman, whose face was fully visible. | It was promptly deleted and a series of seemingly random images were posted to the account, before it was…
(2020-03-21). Never mind the HUMVEES! Maryland National Guard reassures residents there's no martial law threat amid virus panic. rt.com 
Concern over the presence of military vehicles in residential areas of Maryland has apparently prompted the state's national guard to tweet out a reminder that it is there to help fight Covid-19 — not to impose martial law. | The Maryland National Guard (MDNG) reassured all state residents on Saturday that, contrary to any nefarious rumors that may have been spreading, the force has been deployed to "deliver much needed supplies" and to perform other humanitarian duties. | "To our neighbors, there is not a threat of martial law. If you see a MDNG Humvee on your street, know we are helping someone in need…
(2020-03-21). Ten Questions for the U.S.: Where did the Novel Coronavirus Come From? globalresearch.ca CGTN Editor's note: The article is an edited version of an article which was first published on a WeChat official account named Gong Yi Kan Shi Jie. The article reflects the author's opinions and does not necessarily reflect the views …
(2020-03-21). Care home recreates life-sized Hungry Hippos game to lift morale in isolation. thecanary.co 
Residents and staff at Bryn Celyn care home in Wales have recreated a life-sized version of the game Hungry Hungry Hippos in an attempt to stave off self-isolation boredom. | Residents, who can be heard giggling in an online video, sat in wheelchairs while staff pushed them into the middle of circle, where they attempted to collect coloured balls with boxes and brooms. | Posting the video to Facebook, the care home said: "Residents really enjoyed playing a new game today, Hungry Hippos." | Residents really enjoyed playing a new game today Hungry Hippos. Lots of laughter to lift morale of the team and residents!
(2020-03-20). Amazon Prime Will Lower Resolution to Prevent Internet Collapse. telesurenglish.net Amazon Prime Video announced this Friday that will reduce video quality in streaming platforms during Covid-19's quarantine. | RELATED: | The multi-service company joins YouTube and Netflix's initiative to face demand uprising and avoid network collapse. Online videos demand upraised after Covid-19 affected nations implemented social isolation. This circumstance leads to higher streaming content consumption. | In an official communicati…
(2020-03-19). What about ending endless wars? Tulsi Gabbard drops out of presidential race and backs …Biden. rt.com 
Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has suspended her presidential campaign and endorsed Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden, citing the establishment favorite's primary victories and the coronavirus as her reasons. | Gabbard made the surprise announcement on Thursday in a video posted to her Twitter account, explaining she was dropping out to focus on dealing with the coronavirus epidemic in Hawaii and potentially serving in her National Guard capacity should she be called to action. | The endorsement of Biden came as a particular surprise, given Gabbard's opposition to "regime change wars," a central plank of he…
(2020-03-19). Socialist countries response to pandemic shows stark contrast to capitalism. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – As the number of confirmed cases of the viral illness COVID-19 approaches 200,000 worldwide, we can already see how differently issues of public health and human needs are treated in socialist countries vs. capitalist countries. | COVID-19 was first detected in Wuhan, a major city in the People's Republic of China. Local officials took three to four weeks to recognize its significance. Once the threat was clear, the whole of the country and vast resources were mobilized. Everything was shut down to stop the virus in its tracks. People were quarantined at home as new hospitals were constructed, s…
(2020-03-19). Viral Reactions: The Smugness of Celebrity Self-Isolation. dissidentvoice.org The rush to elevate self-isolation to Olympian heights as a way to combat the spread of COVID-19 has gotten to the celebrities. Sports figures are proudly tweeting and taking pictures from hotel rooms (Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton being a case in point). Comics are doing their shows from home. Thespians are extolling the merits …
(2020-03-18). The Sides of Beef: Humans and Meat Eating. dissidentvoice.org 
For the purposes of preserving any status quo in the present day United States, nothing surpasses a strategy of any question or issue 'cultural.' This has the immediate effect of splitting even slight difference of opinion into hostile camps and deliberately provokes absolutist, visceral responses. Such exchanges, particularly in the sewer of social media or …
(2020-03-18). Big Tech Firms are Using Automation to Censor News About the Coronavirus. mintpressnews.com Social media is awash with people angry that their posts have been removed for no legitimate reason. MintPress was no exception, with a story about Cuba's response to the coronavirus flagged and blocked.
(2020-03-17). Meet 17-Year-Old Avi Schiffmann Who Runs Coronavirus Tracking Website Used by 40+ Million Globally. democracynow.org 
A teenager's website tracking coronavirus has become one of the most vital resources for people seeking accurate and updated numbers on the pandemic. The URL is nCoV2019.live. We speak with 17-year-old Avi Schiffmann, a high school junior from Mercer Island outside Seattle, who started the site in late December, when coronavirus had not yet been detected outside of China. Now the site has been visited by tens of millions, from every country on Earth. It tracks deaths, numbers of cases locally and globally, and provides an interactive map, information on the disease, and a Twitter feed. The resource updates every…
(2020-03-09). [Comment] How will country-based mitigation measures influence the course of the COVID-19 epidemic? thelancet.com Governments will not be able to minimise both deaths from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the economic impact of viral spread. Keeping mortality as low as possible will be the highest priority for individuals; hence governments must put in place measures to ameliorate the inevitable economic downturn. In our view, COVID-19 has developed into a pandemic, with small chains of transmission in many countries and large chains resulting in extensive spread in a few countries, such as Italy, Iran, South Korea, and Japan.
(2020-02-20). [Comment] The burden of viral respiratory infections in young children in low-resource settings. thelancet.com Acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI), encompassing bacterial and viral pneumonias, acute viral bronchiolitis, and bacterial and viral bronchitis, remain the leading cause of global child mortality.1 The thrust of global prevention and treatment efforts has been directed against bacterial causes of ALRI, and deaths from bacterial pneumonia have decreased substantially since 1990 because of improved access to health care and life-saving antibiotics, as well as increased use of vaccines targeted at bacterial respiratory pathogens.
(2020-02-17). [Editorial] Challenges of coronavirus disease 2019. thelancet.com Yet again, the world is experiencing a global viral epidemic of zoonotic origin. As of Feb 12, 45‚Äà204 confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and 1116 deaths had been reported in 25 countries. The majority of cases and, at the time of writing, all but one death have been in China, despite efforts in the country to halt transmission through shutting down transport, quarantining entire cities, and enforcing the use of face masks. International flights have been cancelled and affected cruise ships quarantined.
(2020-02-06). [Spotlight] Coronavirus epidemic: preparing for extracorporeal organ support in intensive care. thelancet.com Zoonotic viral infections are more frequently crossing species to infect human populations. In 2003, the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus was transmitted to humans from exotic animals in wet markets in China, and in 2015, the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) virus was transmitted from camels in Saudi Arabia. In both cases, and with the 2019 coronavirus outbreak in China, the original host of the virus is likely to be bats.
(2020-02-05). [Correspondence] Nicotine patches with e-cigarettes for smoking cessation: Twitter discussion from a respirology journal club. thelancet.com On Dec 12, 2019, our Twitter-based University of Toronto Respirology and Sleep Journal Club1 discussed Walker and colleagues' pragmatic, randomised, parallel-arm trial designed to look at the effectiveness of combining nicotine patches with an e-cigarette (with and without nicotine) on 6-month smoking abstinence.2 Our discussions highlighted the challenges of studying populations of smokers in general, given the habitual nature of the exposure, challenges related to follow-up, and a need for reliable and valid objective measures of smoking abstinence (appendix).