Moderna's Covid vaccine DOES protect against Indian 'Delta' variant
Two doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine provide long-lasting protection against the Indian 'Delta' variant, a new study suggests. Two doses of Moderna's Covid vaccine provide long-term protection against Covid, including against variants of concern, a new NIH study finds. Pictured: Antibody response against Alpha variant (blue line), Delta variant (pink line), Beta variant (red line), and othersThe super-contagious Delta variant is now causing more than 90 percent of new Covid cases in the U.S., driving the country's current surge. The vast majority of Covid patients in America's hospitals are unvaccinated, while vaccinated people tend to have milder cases - or be fully asymptomatic. The Moderna vaccine appears to be more protective than the Pfizer vaccine, which recently reported that vaccine effectiveness dropped to 84 percent after six months.
Source:The Nation
August 12, 2021 22:41 UTC
Why You Need a Lifting Program
And that’s why you need a weightlifting program. A program is a prescription for exactly what to do and when to do it, and most lifting programs last weeks to months. While some intermediate and advanced lifters can program for themselves, many still use tried-and-true programs, or they ask a coach to write a program for them. For example, a 5-day lifting program might mix easy, medium, and hard days so that you only need a full rest day twice a week. A program helps you make sure you’re doing what you need to do.
Source:The Nation
August 12, 2021 21:22 UTC
Police test 1,000 jet suit to chase down suspect
Senior police and government officials got to see a human jet suit in action at a demonstration of emerging science and technology that could help fight crime and terrorism. Mr Hewitt described the system as 'incredibly noisy' and quite 'science-fictiony' but 'really impressive' and as having 'lots of potential'. 'We are fascinated to see how it will develop and if there are any possible uses in a policing environment in years to come.' The thousand horsepower jet system, called Gravity, was founded by Richard Browning, who is also its test pilot. The jet suit could be particularly useful for catching a 'roving threat', such as over rooftops, in crowded urban spaces or on tricky terrains, according to Mr Browning.
Source:The Nation
August 12, 2021 21:00 UTC
Tougher travel restrictions over the weekend?
Another crucial meeting will held this morning between President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Presidential Task Force on Prevention of COVID-19 to decide if travel restrictions will be imposed over the weekend to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The meeting will take place after the country recorded it's highest ever daily COVID-19 deaths on August 11. Also the daily COVID-19 cases surpassed the 3,000 mark on Thursday after a few weeks. The Army Commander said though experts had made statements to media over a lockdown, not a single formal request had been made to the COVID-19 Task Force. The previous meeting held with the President and the Covid-19 Task Force had taken several decisions to prevent the spread of the virus.
Source:The Nation
August 12, 2021 18:45 UTC
Other sectors join teachers’ struggle
Representatives of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU), the Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union (CTSU), and other teachers’ and principals’ trade unions as well as those representing trade unions within the sectors of electricity, ports, railways, health, water supply and drainage, management services, estates, transport, and telecommunications, took part in the satyagraha which was held in front of the Independence Square, Colombo 7, yesterday. Speaking to the media during the satyagraha, CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin said that it is a very positive development that trade unions affiliated to other sectors had also joined the teachers and principals struggle to win their demands in this manner. He added that if the Government continues to delay resolving their issues, it is planned to launch more trade union actions in the future. The trade unions have also planned to hold discussions with political parties represented in the Parliament and to initiate a campaign to obtain signatures for a public petition. In addition to the aforesaid trade union actions, teachers and principals had organised protests all over the country to force the Government to look into their issues urgently.
Source:The Nation
August 12, 2021 18:22 UTC
Four Operating Theatres at Apeksha Cancer Hospital non-operational
The complex has five operating theatres with these 21 minor staffers working in all five theatres. The hospital does not currently have a permanent Hospital Director, which has been the case since the demise of its previous Director Dr. Wasantha Dissanayake in April of this year. The Health Ministry’s Laboratory Services Director Dr. Vijith Gunasekera is serving in a temporary capacity as the hospital’s Director. The hospital provides specialised care for the diagnosis and follow-up treatment of cancer for patients from all over the country. All attempts to contact the temporary Director Dr. Gunasekera proved futile.
Source:The Nation
August 12, 2021 18:00 UTC
Maskless Lollapalooza did NOT become a super-spreader event
Despite concerns from public health experts and Chicago residents, the city's top officials have found no evidence that Lollapalooza was a superspreader event. Lollapalooza was not a superspreading event with just 203 people testing positive, according to data released Thursday from the Chicago Department of Public Health. According to the city's public health commissioner, however, Lollapalooza was in fact not the superspreading event that many had feared. Chicago's public health department also put out a nationwide alert, requesting other cities and states to submit information for any cases linked to Lollapalooza. The Chicago public health department will continue to monitor cases linked to Lollapalooza.
Source:The Nation
August 12, 2021 18:00 UTC
Health Ministry says no ‘major’ stat discrepancies
By Pamodi WaravitaThe Health Ministry yesterday (12) said that there were “no major discrepancies” in the Covid-19 statistics that are being reported by the Ministry’s Epidemiology Unit and provincial data, although slight variations may occur. There are no major discrepancies, but there could be slight variations when we compare these numbers with the numbers released from each province. This is due to the fact that provincial numbers also account for duplications, inconclusive data, and suspected cases,” Health Ministry Covid-19 Co-ordinator Dr. Anver Hamdani told The Morning. However, approximately 1,500 patients, according to them, are receiving home-based care in the form of continued monitoring by the health authorities. Commenting on the data in Gampaha, Dr. Hamdani stressed that such a large number of Covid-19-positive patients are not “outside of the healthcare sector’s monitoring mechanism”.
Source:The Nation
August 12, 2021 18:00 UTC
How to Take Care of Leather
As a new owner of a fine leather sofa, I am constantly worried about keeping it in pristine condition. So, here are the tips I’ve learned to take care of leather that would make Tobias Fünke proud. In the event that you need to clean your leather sofa (or any leather piece of furniture), first vacuum up any crumbs or loose dust with your handheld vacuum’s brush attachment. For smaller leather goods like bags or briefcases, maintain their shape by stuffing with a clean towel. Finally, for leather jackets, make sure to keep them on thick, sturdy hangers to hold their shape and structure, preventing any divots or creases.
Source:The Nation
August 12, 2021 17:48 UTC
Boarding school syndrome among Sri Lankans
However, when they are not in a position to move to a city, they choose to board their children, in boarding schools or in private boarding houses, so as to gain access to urban schools. Here, the latter group of parents face practical transport related difficulties, which prevent them from visiting their children frequently at the boarding schools or houses. The dislike of the new school or boarding house, not having friends in the new school, and not wanting to continue schooling, were defined as difficulties in transitioning to the new school environment. In terms of the distance from the students’ home to the boarding school, the nearest was 24 km away while the farthest hometown was 204 km away. They had mild or moderate depression subsequent to enrollment in the boarding school, while one had social anxiety disorder.
Source:The Nation
August 12, 2021 17:37 UTC
The two faces of justice: A review of two books
This implies that obstacles that come against the search of justice need to be understood and need to be fought against. Thus, the search is not merely to find justice for her brother but to find the ways to make the prevalence of justice within her society. Thus, the individual’s search for justice gets extended to a much more collective sense of the search for justice for everyone in her society. The system is based on rules opposed to justice and therefore those struggles for justice within that institutional framework are a waste of time. Since the system is opposed to the rule of law which in effect means that it is opposed to justice, there is no place for justice within Myanmar.
Source:The Nation
August 12, 2021 17:15 UTC
Strava’s new update gives users control over their privacy
Jimmy Westenberg / Android AuthorityTL;DR Strava gives users privacy control over key information with its latest update. Users can now hide the start or end of the run at any location or hide their map entirely. Strava might be “the social network for athletes,” but like with any social media, privacy becomes a concern sooner or later. With its latest update, Strava gives users control over the information they want to share and hide key location data from the public. This will let you select and view polylines based on key data like heart rate, pace, elevation, and more.
Source:The Nation
August 12, 2021 17:03 UTC
World Elephant Day 2021: Conflict, Conservation & Captivity
As of 2020, Sri Lanka was home to roughly 7,500 wild elephants. One of the island's most popular attractions, the animals are unfortunately dying at record rates as a result of continuing encroachment, the worsening human-elephant conflict, and the illegal elephant trade. On World Elephant Day, Roar would like to share a selection of past stories that delve into the treatment and plight of elephants in Sri Lanka, highlighting the urgent need for the protection of one of the country’s most at-risk populations. The Garbage-Eating Elephants Of OluvilClick here to readFarmers’ Fast: The Walsapugala Wild Elephant ProblemClick here to watchKaavan The Elephant: Lonely No MoreClick to watchA Closer Look At Sri Lanka’s Illegal Elephant TradeClick here to readElephants In Parades: Is It Illegal? Click here to readSaving A Species: The Future Of The Human-Elephant ConflictClick here to readWho Should Deal With The Human-Elephant Conflict?
Source:The Nation
August 12, 2021 15:11 UTC
‘Pataz.com’ takes off in Sri Lanka!
To make this easier, the two founders of Pataz.com have revolutionised the B2B marketplace by connecting suppliers, buyers, manufacturers, and wholesalers – on a global scale. By connecting direct manufacturers with suppliers, Pataz fulfils the need for convenience and efficiency, while creating expansive opportunities. “Chamli and I are both originally from Sri Lanka, and we are very passionate about supporting our community back home. We want to help boost Sri Lanka’s export industry and guide local factories to reach a larger global market. Pataz.com invites manufacturers, suppliers, and buyers to sign up and experience the platform.
Source:The Nation
August 12, 2021 15:00 UTC
Use This Website to Make Your Spotify Playlists Much Better
I’ve been wearing my “perfect songs” playlist out recently, so I fed Songslikex my current favorite tracks to see if it could find some new additions. I enjoyed listening to these playlists a lot, and as a bonus, they helped me find new artists that I may not have encountered otherwise. This is preferable to constantly hearing the same song across multiple similarly themed Spotify radio stations and playlists. There’s one downside, though: Songslikex only works with Spotify, which is disappointing for anyone who prefers a different service. But if you use Spotify and want to shake up your playlists, give Songslikex a shot.
Source:The Nation
August 11, 2021 19:41 UTC