Author: News
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COVID-19: Unmasking the benefits of face masks
Masks could be more effective than earlier thought, blocking up to 99.9% of COVID-19 laden droplets released by infected patients and carriers, according to a new study by the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh. Containing the spread of COVID-19 has been a tricky task. It is one of the main reasons why COVID-19…
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Lessons from the DRC as they emerge victorious in their 10th battle against Ebola
Simran Kapoor explores what the world can learn from the DRC’s success in combating Ebola, whilst they simultaneously grapple with political tensions, COVID-19, and a killer measles outbreak. Earlier this year, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) found itself in a dire situation. It was simultaneously confronting a measles outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside…
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New tetraquark particle tests current theories in particle physics
On June 30th, an experiment at the LHC in Geneva (LHCb) reported on arXiv what could be a particle made up of four quarks. The tetraquark particle, named X(6900), is thought to be made of two charm quarks and two of their antimatter counterparts, anticharm quarks. This is the first time that a particle has…
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The road to a cure for HIV: the São Paulo Patient
A possible new treatment for HIV on the horizon Promising news regarding treatment of HIV came out of Brazil on the 7th of July. After participating in a trial study in 2015, the São Paulo Patient is the third person to ever be cured of HIV, joining the cohort of the Berlin Patient and the…
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A coronavirus vaccine is desperately needed, but what are we willing to do to get it?
Tom Edwick dives into the ethics of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development. As we move into month four of lockdown, life as we knew it seems little more than a distant memory. Life in this new covid era has thrown up a lot of fun experiences that I wouldn’t have had to deal with otherwise, like having…
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Is this it for Human Evolution?
Humankind, in all our arrogance, have always told ourselves that we were different from our animal relatives– that we were stronger, more intelligent, superior. Even the father of Evolution himself, Charles Darwin, talked extensively of how we may and should use the principle of natural selection to further our acts of domestication and agriculture. So…
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The novel coronavirus is mutating – Should we be worried?
Simran Kapoor addresses emerging fears about the novel coronavirus mutating. As the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread around the world, there’s been a surge in news reports circulating with headlines about the virus mutating. The mere mention of the word “mutation” often elicits fear and confusion. Will this virus mutate into a more lethal…
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SpaceX’s first Commercial Spaceflight
On Saturday the 30th of May, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft launched at 3.22p.m. EDT from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral. The mission took US astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the International Space Station (ISS). This mission, part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, marks the return of human spaceflight capabilities to the…
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What makes a vaccine?
In the age of COVID-19, science communication has become more important than ever. In light of what President Trump has postulated in terms of injecting disinfectant as a treatment to the virus and that it is World Immunisation Week, we wanted to take this opportunity to discuss what makes a vaccine. Vaccines are one of…
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Coronavirus – a breakdown
2019-nCoV, a previously unknown type of coronavirus, emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan on December 31. Thousands of cases have been confirmed around China, with a few others scattered internationally. What is 2019-nCoV? Samples taken from patients exhibiting respiratory symptoms revealed a previously unknown virus within the coronavirus species, of the Coronaviridae family.…