MUMBAI, India — Easing restrictions and built-up demand are driving Indian malls’ recovery faster after the second Covid-19 wave relative to the after-first wave figures, according to an analysis of the country’s top 14 malls by Indian analytical and research company Crisil Ratings. “With retail sales in malls rebounding strongly post reopening, pressure on rentals for mall owners […]

SINGAPORE — Emerging Southeast Asian economies face intense headwinds from continuous Covid-19 pandemic waves, S&P Global Ratings said on Aug. 19, adding that private consumption and services will be hit hardest. The duration and severity of the pandemic have been more adverse than previous baseline expectations. “As a result, we are revising downward our 2021 growth expectations for […]

Healthcare professionals are experiencing decreased joy, increased sadness, fear and disgust over the course of the 18-month COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU). Their conclusion was drawn from analyzing more than 53,000 Twitter posts (tweets) from healthcare professionals. The researchers found that levels of joy and sadness exceeded […]

President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s plan for Americans to receive a third COVID-19 vaccine shot as a booster starting next month has fueled a debate about the United States’ commitments to global vaccination programs. The administration announced Wednesday it intends to make third shots available to adults who have been inoculated with both doses of […]

WASHINGTON – A new study found that skeletal muscles in mice appear to “remember” prior training, aiding muscle growth and adaptability when retrained through exercise. “42 percent of American adults reported unintended weight gain since the Covid-19 pandemic began, averaging about 29 pounds,” states the study. Forty-two percent of American adults reported unintended weight gain […]

GENEVA — The International Air Transport Association on Aug. 19 urged governments to abide by international agreements and treaty obligations to enable airlines to repatriate close to nearly one billion dollars in blocked funds from the sale of tickets, cargo space, and other activities. “Governments are preventing nearly one billion dollars of airline revenues from being repatriated,” said […]

WASHINGTON — The national public health agency of the United States, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on Aug. 17 alerted of an expected outbreak of the polio-like disease Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) in the next four months. AFM is an uncommon but serious neurologic condition. It causes the muscles and reflexes in the body to […]

NEW DELHI — A Covid-19 vaccine could be available for use in Indian children by September or soon after it. “Phase 2 and 3 trials of Covaxin [made in India by Bharat Biotech] are underway for children between the age of 2 and 18 years,” Priya Abraham, director of the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of […]

WASHINGTON — Researchers worldwide have been racking their brains to work out a treatment for Covid-19. While vaccines are the gold standard and popular choice for prevention, therapies for people infected with Covid-19 remain in short supply. But a new study from researchers at the University of Michigan reveals several drug contenders already in use for other […]

WASHINGTON — Adults under 60 leading a predominantly sedentary lifestyle are at a higher risk of stroke than their physically active counterparts, according to new research findings. The findings were published in the journal “Stroke” of the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association. American adults spend an average of 10.5 hours a […]

WASHINGTON — Mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell, may actually be beneficial when split into fragments, according to new research.  It demonstrates how a protein associated with Parkinson’s disease can damage the mitochondria, organelles inside cells that carry out a medley of vital tasks. These structures generate energy and regulate the interiors of a cell […]

WASHINGTON — A new study has found that canine high-grade gliomas or brain tumors contain higher immune cells associated with suppressing immune response than low-grade gliomas. The work—published in the journal “Veterinary Pathology“—is the most extensive examination of immune cell infiltration in canine glioma to date. The study adds to the body of evidence that […]

WASHINGTON — Human brains are no passive listeners of music. Rather, they are always predicting how a melody will end while a tune or a song lasts.  Existing knowledge of the brain’s processing of music suggested that musical phrases are perceived by looking backward rather than forward. However, a study published in the journal “Psychological […]

La población de mayor edad parece ser más vulnerable a COVID-19, y las vacunas son menos efectivas para protegerlos. Un nuevo estudio explica por qué. Para su tesis doctoral, bajo la dirección del profesor de inmunología Doron Melamed, la estudiante de posgrado del Instituto de Tecnología Technion-Israel, Reem Dowery, estudió el proceso de envejecimiento del […]