A nurse tests members of the public at the Eden Park testing station in Auckland, New Zealand. COVID-19 restrictions are in place across the country following the discovery of a coronavirus cluster in Auckland. Auckland is at Level 3 lockdown restrictions, while the rest of New Zealand is operating under Level 2. Getty Images
A nurse tests members of the public at the Eden Park testing station in Auckland, New Zealand. COVID-19 restrictions are in place across the country following the discovery of a coronavirus cluster in Auckland. Auckland is at Level 3 lockdown restrictions, while the rest of New Zealand is operating under Level 2. Getty Images
People wait for a walk-up Covid-19 test at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand. COVID-19 restrictions have been reintroduced across New Zealand after new COVID-19 cases were diagnosed in Auckland. Getty Images
People wait for a walk-up Covid-19 test at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand. COVID-19 restrictions have been reintroduced across New Zealand after new COVID-19 cases were diagnosed in Auckland. Getty Images
Circus clown Jhona Zapata, whose performance name is "Jijolin," is reflected in the window of a home as he offers caramelized apples for sale, while circuses are closed during the lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 in a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Lima, Peru. Zapata, 35, is selling circus food to help his family survive the economic shutdown. AP Photo
Circus clown Jhona Zapata, whose performance name is "Jijolin," is reflected in the window of a home as he offers caramelized apples for sale, while circuses are closed during the lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 in a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Lima, Peru. Zapata, 35, is selling circus food to help his family survive the economic shutdown. AP Photo
Wearing full PPE (personal protective equipment), Theresa Shangazhike, manager of the Spa Experience Wimbledon, gives her client, Lauren Shine a facial treatment in Wimbledon, south London, as beauty salons, spas and hairdressers relax the regulations to combat the coronavirus, now offering additional services, including front-of-face treatments. AFP
Wearing full PPE (personal protective equipment), Theresa Shangazhike, manager of the Spa Experience Wimbledon, gives her client, Lauren Shine a facial treatment in Wimbledon, south London, as beauty salons, spas and hairdressers relax the regulations to combat the coronavirus, now offering additional services, including front-of-face treatments. AFP
Staff members of the MSC Grandiosa cruise liner, seen through a porthole give the thumbs-up in the northwestern port city of Genoa prior the departure of the liner after six-and-half months of inactivity due to the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic. The first major cruise ship to set sail in the Mediterranean was poised to depart from Genoa as Italy's struggling travel industry hopes to regain ground after a bruising coronavirus hiatus, representing a high-stakes test for the global sector in the key Mediterranean market and beyond. AFP
Staff members of the MSC Grandiosa cruise liner, seen through a porthole give the thumbs-up in the northwestern port city of Genoa prior the departure of the liner after six-and-half months of inactivity due to the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic. The first major cruise ship to set sail in the Mediterranean was poised to depart from Genoa as Italy's struggling travel industry hopes to regain ground after a bruising coronavirus hiatus, representing a high-stakes test for the global sector in the key Mediterranean market and beyond. AFP
People wearing protective face masks walk past a cross road at a shopping district in Tokyo, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, Japan. REUTERS
People wearing protective face masks walk past a cross road at a shopping district in Tokyo, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, Japan. REUTERS
A volunteer wearing a costume of Pokemon character Pikachu hugs a child during Children's Day, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Fuerte Apache, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. REUTERS
A volunteer wearing a costume of Pokemon character Pikachu hugs a child during Children's Day, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Fuerte Apache, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. REUTERS
A firefighter tends to a non-COVID-19 patient while wearing protective equipment, against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Houston, Texas, U.S. REUTERS
A firefighter tends to a non-COVID-19 patient while wearing protective equipment, against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Houston, Texas, U.S. REUTERS
Travelers line up to check-in at the Tocumen International Airport, Panama. Tocumen International Airport, the main one in Panama and a regional hub, began limited commercial flight operations this Friday after almost five months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. EPA
Travelers line up to check-in at the Tocumen International Airport, Panama. Tocumen International Airport, the main one in Panama and a regional hub, began limited commercial flight operations this Friday after almost five months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. EPA
A demonstrator wearing a face mask over his face with the words 'Mascarade, Virologues' takes part in a protest against health measures made by the Belgian government over the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Brussels, Belgium. The group of demonstrators does not deny the existence of the coronavirus but disputes its degree of contagiousness and its lethality and does not want to wear masks. EPA
A demonstrator wearing a face mask over his face with the words 'Mascarade, Virologues' takes part in a protest against health measures made by the Belgian government over the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Brussels, Belgium. The group of demonstrators does not deny the existence of the coronavirus but disputes its degree of contagiousness and its lethality and does not want to wear masks. EPA
Choir members wear face masks as they sing at Westminster Abbey in London, England. Six members of the Westminster Abbey were allowed back to sing at the 11:15 Eucharist service for the first time since Coronavirus lockdown. The four-month hiatus is the longest the Abbey choir has been silent since the Second World War. Getty Images
Choir members wear face masks as they sing at Westminster Abbey in London, England. Six members of the Westminster Abbey were allowed back to sing at the 11:15 Eucharist service for the first time since Coronavirus lockdown. The four-month hiatus is the longest the Abbey choir has been silent since the Second World War. Getty Images

Asia

Coronavirus: more infectious mutation could be 'a good thing'

Evidence suggests a growing mutation of the virus is making it far more infectious but also less deadly, a leading expert says

Reuters

August 18, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

An increasingly common mutation of the coronavirus found in Europe, North America and parts of Asia may be more infectious but appears to be less deadly, a prominent infectious diseases doctor said.

Paul Tambyah, a senior consultant at the National University of Singapore and president-elect of the International Society of Infectious Diseases, said evidence suggested the proliferation of the D614G mutation in some parts of the world has coincided with a drop in death rates, suggesting it is less lethal.

"Maybe that's a good thing to have a virus that is more infectious, but less deadly," Dr Tambyah said.

He said most viruses tended to become less virulent as they mutated.

"It is in the virus' interest to infect more people but not to kill them because a virus depends on the host for food and for shelter," he said.

Scientists discovered the mutation as early as February and it circulated in Europe and the Americas, the World Health Organisation said. It said there was no evidence the mutation led to more severe disease.

On Sunday, Malaysia's Director General of Health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah urged the public to show greater vigilance after authorities detected what they believe was the D614G mutation in two recent virus clusters.

Sebastian Maurer-Stroh of Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research said the variant was also found in the city-state but that containment measures prevented a large-scale spread.

Dr Noor Hisham said the D614G strain detected there was 10 times more infectious.

Vaccines currently in development may not be effective against the mutation, he said.

But Dr Tambyah and Mr Maurer-Stroh said such mutations would not likely change the virus enough to make potential vaccines less effective.

"The variants are almost identical and did not change areas that our immune system typically recognise, so there shouldn't be any difference for vaccines being developed," Mr Maurer-Stroh said.

While you're here
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dates for the diary

To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:

  • September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
  • October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
  • October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
  • November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
  • December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
  • February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
LEADERBOARD
%3Cp%3E-19%20T%20Fleetwood%20(Eng)%3B%20-18%20R%20McIlroy%20(NI)%2C%20T%20Lawrence%20(SA)%3B%20-16%20J%20Smith%3B%20-15%20F%20Molinari%20(Ita)%3B%20-14%20Z%20Lombard%20(SA)%2C%20S%20Crocker%20(US)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESelected%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E-11%20A%20Meronk%20(Pol)%3B%20-10%20E%20Ferguson%20(Sco)%3B%20-8%20R%20Fox%20(NZ)%20-7%20L%20Donald%20(Eng)%3B%20-5%20T%20McKibbin%20(NI)%2C%20N%20Hoejgaard%20(Den)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

The specs

Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm

Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Price: from Dh130,000

On sale: now

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

ICC T20 Rankings

1. India - 270 ranking points

 

2. England - 265 points

 

3. Pakistan - 261 points

 

4. South Africa - 253 points

 

5. Australia - 251 points 

 

6. New Zealand - 250 points

 

7. West Indies - 240 points

 

8. Bangladesh - 233 points

 

9. Sri Lanka - 230 points

 

10. Afghanistan - 226 points

 
HOW DO SIM CARD SCAMS WORK?

Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.

They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards, often by claiming their phone has been lost or stolen 

They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.

The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.

Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.

Based: Riyadh

Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany

Founded: September, 2020

Number of employees: 70

Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions

Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds  

Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices