While spending more time indoors, the lure to open a window can be too hard to resist.
There are plenty of reasons to crack open a window (after all, there’s no such thing as too much fresh air), but doing so also gives ample opportunity for pests like mosquitoes to enter homes.
While certainly irritating, medical professionals first want residents to know that these bugs, in no way, affect the spread of the coronavirus.
“There is no evidence that a mosquito bite can spread coronavirus and no need to worry about that,” says Dr Ayesha Khaled, consultant of family medicine at Burjeel Medical Centre Al Zeina.
Even so, having these pests enter homes can be irritating.
Luckily, there are measures that can be taken to deter the mosquitoes from entering houses, several of which can easily be done with items found at home.
As Dr Khaled puts it, “mosquitoes are powered by their sense of smell, so naturally, there are smells they do not like. Lavender, lemongrass, eucalyptus oil, etc.”
Dr Osman Labban, head of family medicine at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, shares some natural remedies to keep mosquitoes away:
Burning coffee grounds
Using coffee grounds is one of the simplest home remedies to get rid of mosquitoes. They are repelled by the odour created by burning coffee grounds.
Using lavender oil
Mosquitoes cannot stand the smell of the lavender oil so try spraying it in a room.
Removing any standing water
Mosquitoes can use pools of standing water to breed, so empty, scrub and throw out items that are holding water like buckets, planters, toys or trash containers. Even a pet’s water (and food) should preferably not be left out overnight.
Preventive measures to take
Meanwhile, Dr Khaled advises wearing covered clothing (even while indoors) or using window nets and mosquito fly traps. “If you are using mosquito repellent sprays, remember that mosquitoes rest in dark, humid places like under the sink, in closets, under furniture or in the laundry room. Make sure you get to those areas,” she says.
Dealing with bites
The first – and most important – rule of dealing with a mosquito bite? Don’t scratch it. “That only irritates skin further and could lead to an infection,” says Dr Khaled. Instead, she recommends trying a cold compress, ice pack, calamine lotion or an antihistamine, if it’s very itchy.
Dr Labban adds that an over-the-counter hydro-cortisone cream can also work. “If there is a localised redness that is spreading, any pus, pain or fever, then it’s time to consult a doctor,” he adds.
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The full list of 2020 Brit Award nominees (winners in bold):
British group
Coldplay
Foals
Bring me the Horizon
D-Block Europe
Bastille
British Female
Mabel
Freya Ridings
FKA Twigs
Charli xcx
Mahalia
British male
Harry Styles
Lewis Capaldi
Dave
Michael Kiwanuka
Stormzy
Best new artist
Aitch
Lewis Capaldi
Dave
Mabel
Sam Fender
Best song
Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber - I Don’t Care
Mabel - Don’t Call Me Up
Calvin Harrison and Rag’n’Bone Man - Giant
Dave - Location
Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart
AJ Tracey - Ladbroke Grove
Lewis Capaldi - Someone you Loved
Tom Walker - Just You and I
Sam Smith and Normani - Dancing with a Stranger
Stormzy - Vossi Bop
International female
Ariana Grande
Billie Eilish
Camila Cabello
Lana Del Rey
Lizzo
International male
Bruce Springsteen
Burna Boy
Tyler, The Creator
Dermot Kennedy
Post Malone
Best album
Stormzy - Heavy is the Head
Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka
Lewis Capaldi - Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent
Dave - Psychodrama
Harry Styles - Fine Line
Rising star
Celeste
Joy Crookes
beabadoobee
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
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- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
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Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
