NEMO Kennislink closely follows the news about the Covid-19 outbreak. Every day new relevant articles are published worldwide that are based on good scientific sources. We have listed the most interesting articles for you here.
The Coronavirus Is Rewriting Our Imaginations
The New Yorker – May 1 (English)
Science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson describes in this narrative piece for The New Yorker how even he, a science fiction author, was shocked at how life on Earth has changed so drastically in such a short time. “Science fiction is the realism of our time,” he writes. It is clear that we are currently in an important moment in history and that this time will not soon be forgotten. How we respond as humanity now will have a major impact on life in the future. Robinson takes a critical look at the way in which we as humans have dealt with our living environment in recent years. Because we are experiencing a crisis like this ourselves now, it becomes easier to imagine that other disaster scenarios will also occur in the future, he says. A beautifully written piece that makes you think about our way of life on earth.
US germ warfare research leads to new early Covid-19 test
The Guardian – May 1 (English)
US military scientists have designed a new Covid-19 diagnostic test that is much more sensitive than current tests. By detecting a specific immune response in the blood, the new test can probably tell if someone is carrying the virus as early as 24 hours after infection. That is four days earlier than the current tests and if all goes well before someone is contagious to others. In this piece, The Guardian explains how the new test works and what its advantages and disadvantages can be.
Why does sitting at home stress you?
University of the Netherlands – April 28
In this video, professor of clinical neuropsychology Erik Scherder talks about what sitting at home during the corona crisis does to our brains. With a model brain in his hand, he shows from his living room how sitting at home in this time of crisis can make us feel tense or anxious. He also explains how exercise, distraction and music can help to lower our stress level.
Rehabilitate for another twenty-one weeks after three weeks of intensive care
NRC – April 27
Corona patients who have been in intensive care will face a heavy recovery time after their discharge. The IC patients are physically weakened and often have permanently damaged lungs, making them more susceptible to infections in the future. Many people also have psychological problems. In this report, NRC explains what a stay in the ICU can do to a person's physical and mental health.
Why an app but no vaccine against corona?
At Closer Look – April 23
It seems that there will be a corona app soon, but that we will have to wait a while for a vaccine. This is mainly due to the extensive testing process that precedes the introduction of a new vaccine. Launching a corona app is not without risks, however. The author of this article explains that a malfunctioning app is not necessarily less dangerous than a malfunctioning vaccine. An app can also cause great damage and indirectly lead to more deaths.
Thanks to the intelligent lockdown we breathe cleaner air
Marriage – April 19
Due to the traffic that has come to a standstill, the air we breathe now is a lot less polluted than, for example, a year ago. This is according to data from the European Environment Agency. However, the differences are not noticeable everywhere in the Netherlands and the coronavirus is not the only cause for the cleaner air. This article by Trouw explains why.
How are we going to solve the pandemic puzzle?
De Volkskrant – April 14
Containing the pandemic is a huge puzzle. This interactive model from de Volkskrant shows how the spread of a new infectious disease such as Covid-19 is progressing. You see how quickly a virus can spread among people in different phases of an outbreak and what the effects are of measures such as an intelligent lockdown. The model also explains the expected consequences of different exit strategies.
Mild corona complaints seem to produce fewer antibodies. What does that mean?
NOS News – April 8
Jaap van Dissel of RIVM told the House of Representatives in a briefing that people who experience mild symptoms after infection with the coronavirus seem to make fewer antibodies than people who become very ill. As a result, it can sometimes become complicated to determine whether someone who has had mild complaints is also immune. In this article from NOS Nieuws, researchers explain how this works and what it can mean for building up our group immunity.
This can make you feel tired during a lockdown
The Conversation – April 6 (English)
Although we may now be doing less physical activities in a day due to the corona measures, there is a good chance that we will be tired faster than usual. The monotonous situation of sitting at home and a psychological state of stress or anxiety can cause severe fatigue. This article from The Conversation describes the different psychological stages people go through during a lockdown and gives advice on how to control your energy in such a situation.
'I saw the first results, and I thought:holy fuck, that timeline'
NRC – April 5
How long should the social distancing measures actually last? And how can we get society going again safely? This NRC article is about a group of Dutch epidemiologists, psychologists, mathematicians and modellers who are helping RIVM calculate strategies to get out of the corona crisis in the long run. Theoretically, various exit strategies are possible, but the impact on society is large and a realistic way out of the corona crisis seems to take one to two years.
Bad news wrapped in proteins:Inside the genome of the Coronavirus
New York Times – April 3 (English)
Scientists are trying to discover potential weak links of the virus based on the coronavirus genome. What proteins does the coronavirus make and what does it use them for? This page from the New York Times lists the 29 functional sequences that researchers have found in the virus's genome. Some biological background knowledge will come in handy when reading this piece.
The Netherlands locked:what price do we pay for this?
News hour – April 1
The corona crisis brings with it difficult moral dilemmas:"Actually, you grant everyone extra years of life, but you already know in advance that it will cost so much that the next generation will lose quality of life," says former thinker Laureate Marli Huijer. In this short video from Nieuwsuur, the philosopher shares her thoughts on what our handling of the Covid-19 outbreak means for our society.
Covid-19 Changed How the World Does Science, Together
New York Times – April 1 (English)
While political leaders keep their borders closed, there is more international cooperation between scientists than ever. Normally it takes months for the results of a study to appear in a scientific paper, now scientists share their data early in the research process. All over the world, researchers are working together on one specific topic with great urgency. And that is unique. This New York Times article describes the unusual situation from the point of view of scientists.
Thinking does not stand still during the pandemic
De Groene Amsterdammer – 29 March
The current corona crisis provides much food for thought. In this article, De Groene Amsterdammer describes the different ways of thinking of four great contemporary philosophers. They reflect, among other things, on how people respond to threats, on differences between the Chinese and European mentality and on the role that power and leadership play in times of crisis.
'Corona measures actually cause more deaths in the long term'
AD – March 28
Professor of governance and safety Ira Helsloot is disappointed about the drastic measures taken by the Dutch government. He believes that the government has acted too much from the perspective of overcrowded hospitals and has taken too little account of the long-term consequences for society. Helsloot fears that the economic crisis as a result of the measures will ultimately cost more years of life than can be saved now. You can read more about Helsloot's concerns in this interview in the AD.
Quarantine expert André Kuipers:stay fit and monitor the good atmosphere
NOS News– March 26
Astronaut André Kuipers knows better than anyone what it is like to be in quarantine. During space missions, he was sometimes isolated from life on Earth for months with only a few other people. In this article from NOS Nieuws, Kuipers gives tips on how to cope with each other in isolation. Sleep well, keep exercising and help each other a little, is the advice of the astronaut.
'Test, test, test'
Follow The Money – March 26
Dutch laboratories must be sparing with conducting corona tests due to increasing shortages of test material. The pandemic has dramatically increased the global demand for virus tests, but the production capacity of the Swiss company Roche, which supplies the necessary materials, is limited. Many laboratories in the Netherlands depend on Roche for their materials and fear a ceiling in their testing capacity. This article from Follow The Money explains what exactly is going on and why a pharmaceutical company now has so much influence.
Searching for optimal treatment for corona patients with AI
The Engineer – March 25
As we are dealing with a new virus, there is no specific medical treatment for Covid-19 yet. At the discretion of physicians, patients are now being assigned various drugs and treatments. De Ingenieur wrote this article about a special collaborative project between hospitals and data scientists. Using artificial intelligence, they try to discover patterns in the results of different treatment methods in different patients. In this way, they hope to be able to better predict which treatment suits which patient in the future.
Interactive map
New York Times – March 22 (English)
The New York Times explains how people traveling spread the coronavirus from the Wuhan fish market around the world. An interactive map shows how the virus was able to spread so quickly and easily and how measures always came just too late everywhere.
Yuval Noah Harari:the world after coronavirus
Financial Times – March 20 (English)
Under the guise of “this is an emergency” we are now implementing new technology and regulations at breakneck speed, but what does that mean in the long run? In this Financial Times article, historian Harari reflects on the bizarre situation we find ourselves in today. Humanity is faced with major choices with far-reaching consequences, also for the time after corona. h3. How the Virus Got Out
Researchers Use AI to Detect COVID-19
Imaging Technology News – March 20 (English)
Chinese researchers have developed a model of artificial intelligence that can detect and differentiate Covid-19 from other lung diseases. Based on a CT scan of the lungs, the model sees whether someone is a corona patient or not. Imaging Technology News wrote this news article about the research.
Coronavirus:The Hammer and the dance
Medium – March 19 (English)
We can now speak of a pandemic, but different countries are taking different measures to limit the spread of Covid-19. This article provides a clear and comprehensive explanation of how and why certain strategies do or do not work. The author takes you through various scenarios and illustrates the predicted consequences of various measures on the basis of a number of graphs. The message of the article is:If we introduce serious measures now (hammer), we will probably be able to gradually return to normal life (dance) after a few weeks and cause the least amount of damage in total.
This crisis teaches us what work matters. Let's not forget that lesson.
The Correspondent – March 18
Prime Minister Mark Rutte spoke in his speech about people who do "fantastic work". In this column, the author points out the difference between “critical professions” and “prestigious professions”. Work that is normally little respected turns out to be indispensable in a time of crisis like this. What will happen when the corona crisis is over? Will our view of these types of professions change forever?
An old tuberculosis vaccine may offer resistance to the coronavirus
De Volkskrant – March 18
A live bacterium in the existing tuberculosis vaccine makes the immune system stronger against all pathogens in the body. Radboudumc researchers are urgently starting an experiment to see whether the vaccine also protects against Covid-19. The idea is to vaccinate doctors and nurses to prevent them from dropping out due to illness. Read more about the research in this article from de Volkskrant.
Hundreds of Scientists Scramble to Find a Coronavirus Treatment
New York Times – March 17 (English)
All over the world, groups of researchers are putting aside their normal work to look together for a drug that helps against Covid-19. A large international group of scientists has rapidly made a map of all the human proteins that the virus needs to survive in our body. Based on the map, the researchers have drawn up a candidate list of 50 existing drugs that now need to be tested against live coronavirus. An article in the New York Times tells about this special international research project.