What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

A man wearing a face shield and mask as a precaution against coronavirus walks on a road divider in an empty street during the lockdown in Bengaluru, India. India's coronavirus caseload is fourth in the world behind the US, Brazil and Russia. Picture: Aijaz Rahi/AP

A man wearing a face shield and mask as a precaution against coronavirus walks on a road divider in an empty street during the lockdown in Bengaluru, India. India's coronavirus caseload is fourth in the world behind the US, Brazil and Russia. Picture: Aijaz Rahi/AP

Published Jul 6, 2020

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Here's what you need to know about the

coronavirus right now:

Airborne transmission

Hundreds of scientists say there is evidence that the novel

coronavirus in smaller particles in the air can infect people

and they are calling for the World Health Organization (WHO) to

revise its recommendations, the New York Times reported on

Saturday.

However, the health agency said the evidence for the virus

being airborne was not convincing, according to the NYT.

"Especially in the last couple of months, we have been

stating several times that we consider airborne transmission as

possible but certainly not supported by solid or even clear

evidence," Dr Benedetta Allegranzi, the WHO's technical lead of

infection prevention and control, was quoted as saying.

World's third-highest

India now has the world's third-highest number of novel

coronavirus cases behind Brazil and the United States, at nearly

700 000, according to the latest data, as the outbreak shows no

sign of slowing.

India has seen eight times the number of cases as China,

which has a similar-sized population and is where the virus

originated late last year.

Late on Sunday, India cancelled the planned reopening of the

Taj Mahal, citing the risk of coronavirus infections spreading

in the city of Agra from visitors flocking to see India's most

famous monument.

Agra, site of one of India's first big clusters of the

virus, remains the worst-affected city in Uttar Pradesh, the

country's most populous state.

Not since the Spanish flu

Officials are closing the border between Australia's two

most populous states from Tuesday for an indefinite period as

they scramble to contain an outbreak of the coronavirus in the

city of Melbourne.

The decision marks the first time the border between

Victoria and New South Wales has been shut in 100 years.

Officials last blocked movement between the two states in 1919

during the Spanish flu pandemic. Victoria's only other internal

border, with South Australia state, is already closed.

The number of Covid-19 cases in Melbourne, Victoria's

capital, has surged in recent days, prompting authorities to

enforce strict social-distancing orders in 30 suburbs and put

nine public housing towers into complete lockdown.

Hydroxychloroquine and HIV drugs off the table

The WHO said on Saturday that it was discontinuing its

trials of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine and combination

HIV drug lopinavir/ritonavir in hospitalised patients with

COVID-19 after they failed to reduce mortality.

The setback came as the WHO also reported more than 200,000

new cases globally of the disease for the first time in a single

day.

The U.N. agency said the decision, taken on the

recommendation of the trial's international steering committee,

does not affect other studies where those drugs are used for

non-hospitalised patients or as a prophylaxis.

Kicking in place

Soccer-mad Argentines in the farmbelt city of Pergamino have

devised a clever way to keep playing while avoiding risk of

spreading COVID-19: a human foosball pitch with zones for each

player to avoid physical contact.

The game, known as "metegol humano" divides the pitch into

rectangular zones with white lines limiting where a player can

move - helping to enforce social distancing, though limiting

slide tackles or pitch-length dribbles with the ball.

Two teams of five players - a goalkeeper, a defender, a

midfielder and two forwards - can take part, said Gustavo

Cuiffo, a creator of the project.

Seen from above, the demarcated court resembles a large

foosball table - though with real people and no swivel handles.

"It is the first time I have kicked in several months," said

Gustavo Santapaola, who took part in a match at the Play Fútbol

ground. "I honestly tell you, I am excited."

Reuters

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