Costa Rica-made plasma shown to inhibit coronavirus, ready for clinical trials: UCR Alejandro Zúñiga The Tico Times Costa Rica

Costa Rica is set to begin clinical trials on antibody-rich plasma that has been extracted from horses with the purpose of treating COVID-19 patients.

Two versions of the plasma were shown to inhibit the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in tests performed at the National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases in the United States. 

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31594-4/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email#%20

New York Times

Hong Kong, Spain, and Melbourne, Australia, are seeing resurgences. The U.S. recorded nearly 70,000 new cases, and President Trump canceled part of the Republican National Convention.

AP Exclusive: Aid from top donors drops even as need soars JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A new snapshot of the frantic global response to the coronavirus pandemic shows some of the world’s largest government donors of humanitarian aid are buckling under the strain:... AP NEWS

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A new snapshot of the frantic global response to the coronavirus pandemic shows some of the world’s largest government donors of humanitarian aid are buckling under the strain: Funding commitments, for the virus and otherwise, have dropped by a third from the same period last year.

Exclusive: Scientists examine whether this route enables infections at longer distances

Large virus-laden droplets from infected people’s coughs and sneezes fall to the ground within 1-2 metres. Photograph: Nick Gregory/Alamy

CLICK HERE - STUDY - medRxiv - The Potential role of Particulate Matter in the Spreading of COVID-19 in Northern Italy: First Evidence-based Research Hypotheses - April 17, 2020

theguardian.com - by Damian Carrington - April 24, 2020

Coronavirus has been detected on particles of air pollution by scientists investigating whether this could enable it to be carried over longer distances and increase the number of people infected.

The work is preliminary and it is not yet known if the virus remains viable on pollution particles and in sufficient quantity to cause disease.

A person in China scans a QR code with a smartphone to register their real name before getting off a bus in Wuhan, China. Zhang Chang/China News Service via Getty Images

The US is rolling out digital contact tracing. How has it been working in other countries?

vox.com - by Shirin Ghaffary - April 18, 2020

If and when lockdown restrictions are lifted in the US, would you agree to let the government anonymously track your interactions with people within a 6-foot radius to control the spread of Covid-19?

That’s an increasingly urgent question as President Trump and state governors debate how and when to safely reopen the US economy — and as technology is being touted as a solution that would help people reenter public life.

And tech giants are stepping up. Last week, Apple and Google announced a plan to turn phones into opt-in Covid-19 tracking machines that would, if all goes as planned, make it easier for health officials to identify and alert people if they’ve been exposed to the virus.

Dengue is transmitted by a bite from an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito. This is the same species that spreads Zika, Chikungunya and yellow fever. The most common symptoms of dengue are high fever, headaches and joint and muscle pain. (Photo by: BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

forbes.com - by Daphne Ewing-Chow - December 31, 2019

In January 2019, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) warned the Caribbean region of an expected spike in dengue fever and called on communities to exercise caution and support the elimination of mosquito breeding sites to help combat the virus.

A full year later, the number of individuals in the Americas having contracted the mosquito-borne virus is approaching 3 million with at least 1,372 recorded deaths— the highest number of cases on record. The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and other experts have pointed to climate change as one of the leading causes for the surge in numbers, with poor environmental management and increased adaptability of mosquitoes listed as other causes.

Lead Image: When Hurricane Maria struck Dominica in September 2017, more than 90 per cent of the island's structures were destroyed and leaves were ripped from trees. Today, the people of Dominica are rebuilding with the knowledge that climate change could mean a future of storms like Maria.  PHOTOGRAPH BY GALAXIID, ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

travelandleisure.com - by Cailey Rizzo - November 21 2019

When Hurricane Maria barreled through the Caribbean in September 2017, it destroyed 90 percent of the island of Dominica overnight. When the storm cleared, Dominica didn’t just want to rebuild. From the rubble, the island developed a new goal: to become the world’s first climate-resilient nation.

And, according to a new National Geographic report, the island is on track to do exactly that.

(CLICK HERE - READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)