A team of scientists from the UAE is investigating how the Covid-19 virus is able to transmit from animals to humans.
Researchers from Khalifa University of Science and Technology also hope to uncover insights into how to limit the spread of the infection.
The Emirates project will involve academics from universities from around the world, including the United States, China, Singapore and Australia.
Their combined efforts will also focus on the further study of the Sars and Mers viruses, two other known strains of coronavirus.
“We cannot beat the [Covid-19] virus without co-operation as it knows no geographical boundaries,” said Dr Habiba Alsafar, director of biotechnology at Khalifa University of Science and Technology.
“Other international groups including researchers from other countries have already expressed interest in joining the effort on studying the human and viral elements of the disease.”
As of July 16, there have been more than 13.5 million cases of Covid-19 reported worldwide.
The virus has led to the deaths of just under 585,000 people, while 7.5m have been able to recover.
Six months on from it first being identified in China, the outbreak still rages, with the US now experiencing an alarming spike in cases.
Scientists remain confident, however, that studies such as the UAE’s will in time uncover the necessary data to establish how the virus is transmitted to humans.
“We believe this research project will provide answers regarding the transmission of coronavirus between humans and animals while also providing insights that may help limit the transmission of Covid-19,” said Dr Steve Griffiths, senior vice-president of research and development at Khalifa University.
“The project to identify the cause of the Covid-19 transmission from animals to humans showcases our commitment to collectively find a solution to this global healthcare threat.”
Company profile
Company: Verity
Date started: May 2021
Founders: Kamal Al-Samarrai, Dina Shoman and Omar Al Sharif
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Size: four team members
Stage: Intially bootstrapped but recently closed its first pre-seed round of $800,000
Investors: Wamda, VentureSouq, Beyond Capital and regional angel investors
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 715bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh1,289,376
On sale: now
How to get exposure to gold
Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.
A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.
Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.
Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.
London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long
However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
