Just when you thought it was safe to get back on the subway, new research reveals there are thousands of mysterious viruses and bacteria infesting public transportation all over the world. They found 31 bacteria species present in nearly every locale—including ones that cause body odor and acne—forming a ‘core urban microbiome.’ Beyond that, each … Read more
Research on how well various types of masks and face coverings protect against coronavirus has varied but experts and politicians have generally leaned towards the idea that the chance of some protection is better than none. In the UK, face coverings were first made mandatory in for public transport in June and later for shops … Read more
More pandemic-causing diseases are likely to jump from animals to humans in the near future because of modern lifestyles, a top professor warned today. Sarah Gilbert, the brains behind Oxford University’s Covid vaccine, said rising world travel and growing populations drove up the risk of outbreaks of zootonic infections. Animal-borne diseases have become more common … Read more
Whether they’re in China, Hong Kong or Japan, they’ve become a familiar sight: men with giant cylinders on their backs spraying everything around them. Lampposts, train carriages, classrooms, railings, restaurants, bars, shops, airports, entrances to hospitals, schools, government buildings – they are all targets. And it seems to have paid off in the fight to … Read more
Could future pandemics originate in SPACE? Human immune systems may struggle to fight off ‘alien’ bacteria and viruses from other planets, study warns Experts think that alien microorganisms could potentially exist on other worlds Researchers from Exeter and Aberdeen set out to test how these might affect us They exposed mice immune cells to two amino … Read more
It may sound like a plot from a science fiction film, but NASA and scientists are concerned about alien viruses contaminating Earth. As the first humans prepare for the Mars mission, experts warn that protocols are necessary to keep extraterrestrial pollutants from hitchhiking on space ships and astronauts when returning home from the Red Planet. Stanford … Read more
Creator of the ‘Love Bug’, one of the world’s first global computer viruses that affected 45 million, now works in a phone repair shop in the Philippines and says he regrets unleashing the malignant files in 2000 Onel de Guzman created the Love Bug virus in 2000 to get free internet access The virus spread … Read more
There are two distinct categories of virus. Organic, microscopic living ones that have existed since the earliest stages of life on Earth billions of years ago, and digital computer-based ones that have only become widespread in the past 20 to 30 years. Both organic and digital viruses can potentially cause huge harm and disruption but … Read more
Hong Kong airport trials a disinfection booth that ‘remotely kills coronavirus on human skin using nano needles’ in just 40 SECONDS Sanitising pods at the airport work in a similar way to standard security checks A person would enter the confined cubicle and undergo thorough disinfection It can check temperatures and readings suggesting a viral infection … Read more
Bats carrying viruses that can lead to an AIDS-like disease threaten to wipe out Australia’s koala population Bats are acting as flying carriers for several viruses that are deadly to koalas The virus can trigger the koala retrovirus called KoRV, which can lead to cancer Scientists believe this is a greater threat to the koala … Read more