Rumours of vaccines, treatments, clinical trials and flattened curves have caused global governments to reopen their economies, with the world keen to get back on its feet.
Europe warns we can’t wait
Officials from the UK and Italy have warned we can’t wait for a vaccine to return to normal, arguing a calculated risk has to be made to restart economies.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told local media a vaccine simply might not come to fruition, while Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has acknowledged that the decision to allow restaurants, bars, shops and churches to open from today could cause the coronavirus curve to go up again.
NSW’s grand plan
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced plans to minimise the risk of infection for hoards of commuters catching public transport as they return to work.
To avoid new clusters, social distancing will be enforced on public transport, with limited passengers on each train carriage or bus. Temporary parking will be arranged for those coming by car, with more bike lanes throughout the CBD planned to encourage and accommodate cyclists.
Not your guinea pig
Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel have been asked to put their hands up to be part of a clinical trial to test chloroquine, an antimalarial drug which may help prevent COVID-19 infections.
While participation is voluntary, there are calls to scrap the trial. Veterans and federal Liberal MP Phillip Thompson argue the way the military functions makes it nearly impossible for those in lower positions to say no.
A new patch
After all the ad campaigns to discourage smoking and nicotine additions, it seems the drug could be our saviour: clinical trials of nicotine patches are being considered after a hospital in Wales started using patches as improvised treatment. It comes after a French study suggested that smokers may be may be much less at risk of contracting the virus.
Why? The suggestion is that nicotine may reduce lung inflammation in COVID-19 patients. Even so, Jonathan Davies, a consultant trauma surgeon at Royal Glamorgan Hospital, still doesn’t recommend taking up smoking. After all, it could kill you.
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