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 Twitter storm as Trump thinks aloud on cures
Donald Trump's suggestion that injections of disinfectant could be
used to combat the coronavirus have caused an overnight Twitter
storm.
Reacting to new U.S. research on the virus' interactions with
sunlight, heat and various chemicals, Trump said medics should try
to apply the findings to coronavirus patients by applying light or
disinfectant directly.
"Is there a way we can do something like that by injection, inside,
or almost a cleaning?" he said. "It would be interesting to check
that."
Medical experts rushed to warn against such interventions, saying
they were more likely to kill than cure.
Kicking the can down the road
Leaders of EU countries agreed rough outlines of a joint recovery
fund overnight but also kicked down the road the big contention
about whether such funds would be available as outright gifts or
merely loans. Put simply, the frugal and rich north remains wary of
bailing out its poorer (and in its view, more profligate) southern
neighbours. Emmanuel Macron of France made it clear where he stood:
"I'm saying this sincerely," he told reporters. "If Europe raises
debt to loan to others, that won't live up to the response we need."
Fair access: WHO readies Friday announcement
The World Health Organization (WHO) said it would announce a
"landmark collaboration" on Friday to accelerate the research,
development and production of safe, effective drugs, tests and
vaccines for the coronavirus.
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The emphasis would also be on making them "accessible to everyone
who needs them, worldwide".
"There should not be a divide between the haves and the have-nots,"
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on April 6 when
he discussed his plans to announce the initiative.
Coronavirus antibodies: more around than you think?
A preliminary survey of 3,000 New York state residents found that
nearly 14% of those tested had antibodies against the coronavirus,
suggesting that some 2.7 million may already have been infected,
Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Thursday.
The survey targeted people who were out shopping, but not working,
meaning they were probably not essential workers like grocery clerks
or bus drivers. Those surveyed were more likely to test positive for
antibodies than someone isolated at home, Cuomo said.
Cuomo said the preliminary data added to his understanding of the
virus and would inform his plans to reopen the state, with social
distancing measures possibly relaxed more quickly in less infected
regions.
(Compiled by Mark John and Karishma Singh)
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