THURSDAY, June 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) — There’s been a nearly 60% drop in broken bones among U.S. children during the coronavirus pandemic, but the rate of fractures that occur at home has climbed, a new study finds.
The researchers analyzed data on 1,735 youngsters treated for acute fractures at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) between March 15 and April 15, and compared that data with the same time period in 2018 and 2019.
There was a nearly 2.5-fold decline in the number of daily fracture cases during the coronavirus pandemic, compared with the two previous years, the investigators found.
There was a particularly sharp fall in sports-related fractures. They accounted for just 7.2% of all fractures during the during the recent time period, compared with 26% of all fractures in the same time period in 2018 and 2019.
However, there was a more than 25% increase in fractures that occurred at home this year, and a 12% increase in fractures caused by high-energy falls, such as fractures from trampoline and bicycle falls.
Due to social distancing measures — including the closure of schools and parks and the cancellation of team sports during the coronavirus pandemic — families are spending more time at home. The shift in causes of fractures is due to parents seeking other recreational activities for their children, said the authors of the study published online recently in the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics.
“Although the overall rate of fractures is down significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, the proportion due to bicycle and trampoline injuries has gone up substantially,” said senior author Dr. Apurva Shah, an orthopedic surgeon at CHOP.
“It is important to remind parents about the importance of basic safety precautions with bicycles and trampolines, as many children are substituting these activities in place of organized sports and school activities,” Shah added in a CHOP news release.
THURSDAY, June 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Scientists reported Wednesday that they have found links between certain genes and severe COVID-19.
For example, people with type A blood may have higher odds of getting sick, The New York Times reported.
In patients with COVID-19, variations in one stretch of the human genome is tied to a risk of respiratory failure and another with blood type, the scientists discovered.
Type A blood increases the odds of a patient needing oxygen or being put on a ventilator by 50%, the Times reported.
Oddly, genetic changes in the protein the virus needs to infect cells didn’t make a difference in the risk for severe infection.
These findings suggest that unknown factors may play a part in the risk for deadly COVID-19.
“There are new kids on the block now,” researcher Andre Franke, a molecular geneticist at the University of Kiel in Germany, explained to the Times.
PM Modi held a virtual summit with Australian PM Scott Morrison. (Image: Twitter/@MEAIndia)
The two countries came out with a joint declaration titled Shared Vision for Maritime Cooperation in the Indo- Pacific after an online summit between PM Modi and his Australian counterpart.
India and Australia on Thursday unveiled a blueprint to promote peace, security and stability in the Indo-Pacific, a region where China has been trying expand its strategic heft by aggressively expanding its military and economic clout.
The two countries came out with a joint declaration titled Shared Vision for Maritime Cooperation in the Indo- Pacific after an online summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison.
The document enlists resolve of the two countries to effectively navigate the changing geopolitical environment in the Indo-Pacific and vowed to work for a rules-based maritime order that is based on respect for sovereignty and international law.
It said India and Australia will work jointly towards implementation of an action plan with specific measures to advance their bilateral maritime cooperation in line with their vision for the region.
The renewed commitment by the two strategic partners came in the wake of China’s fresh efforts to expand its strategic influence in the resource-rich region.
“India and Australia have common concerns regarding the strategic, security and environmental challenges in the Indo-Pacific maritime domain. These include activities and actions in the maritime domain that are inconsistent with international law,” the two countries said in the declaration.
The two countries also vowed to deepen navy-to-navy cooperation, noting that they have a shared interest in promoting maritime security and safety in the region.
It said India and Australia are committed to supporting a rules-based maritime order that is based on respect for sovereignty and international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“India and Australia reiterate their commitment to promoting peace, security, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, which is vital for the world. As two key Indo-Pacific countries, India and Australia have an enduring interest in a free, open, inclusive and rules based Indo-Pacific region,” the document said.
It said the two countries have a shared interest in ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight in the Indo-Pacific region, and maintaining open, safe and efficient sea lanes for transportation and communication.
“With a shared maritime geography and a deep and long-standing friendship, India and Australia are natural partners to work together towards realisation of this shared vision,” the document said.
The two countries also reiterated their commitment to ASEAN centrality and unity, and resolved to strengthen their coordination in regional and multilateral fora, such as the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional grouping comprising 10 countries of Southeast Asia.
Australia and India are part of the influential “Quad” or Quadrilateral coalition which also comprised the US and Japan.
In November 2017, the four countries gave shape to the long-pending “Quad” coalition to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any influence.
The US has been pushing for a greater role for India in the Indo-Pacific which is seen by many countries as an effort to contain China’s growing clout in the region.
The declaration came after an online summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison.
The declaration also sought to step up cooperation and capacity-building in regional and multilateral forums, including through Australian support for PM Modi’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.
Australia and India on Thursday signed a wide-ranging maritime declaration to support the rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific region founded on respect for the sovereignty of all nations, marking a major step forward in the bilateral security and defence relationship.
The declaration came after an online summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison.
“The Joint Declaration on Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific commits our nations to support the rules-based maritime order in the region, founded on respect for the sovereignty of all nations and international law, particularly the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne said in her official statement.
India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China’s rising military maneuvering in the region.
China has been trying to expand its military presence in the Indo-Pacific, which is a biogeographic region comprising the Indian Ocean and the western and central Pacific Ocean, including the South China Sea.
China claims almost all of the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims over the sea.
“Importantly, the partnership extends to working together to strengthen maritime domain awareness throughout the Indo-Pacific, and combating transnational challenges such as people smuggling, arms and narcotics trafficking, climate change, terrorism, and illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing,” she said.
The declaration also sought to step up cooperation and capacity-building in regional and multilateral forums, including through Australian support for Prime Minister Modi’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.
Expanded Australia-India cooperation on maritime safety and security will be marked in particular by building stronger links between coastguard and civil maritime agencies, and by developing deeper navy-to-navy engagement.
The minister also announced inking a landmark, cooperative arrangement with India on cyber affairs and critical technology.
“As part of the Australia-India Leaders’ Virtual Summit held today, I was pleased to join my Indian counterpart, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in signing the Australia-India Framework Arrangement on Cyber and Cyber-Enabled Critical Technologies Cooperation,” she said.
“The arrangement will enhance our bilateral cooperation on cyber and critical technology issues, which sit at the core of our new Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with India.
“Under the arrangement, Australia and India will work together to promote and preserve an open, free, safe and secure Internet, enhance digital trade, harness critical technology opportunities and address cybersecurity challenges,” she said.
“Critical technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing and robotics present significant opportunities for people, businesses and the broader economy, but also must be guided by international standards to ensure they do not present risks to security or prosperity,” Payne said.
“That is why the arrangement will be complemented by a new, four-year USD 12.7 million Australia-India Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership,” the minister added.
The partnership would create a research and development fund for Indian and Australian businesses and researchers, and support other countries to improve their cyber resilience.
Australia on Thursday expressed its strong support for India’s membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group and also reiterated its backing for New Delhi’s candidacy for a permanent seat in a reformed UN Security Council (UNSC).
Australia’s support was stated in the joint statement released after an online summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison.
“Both sides reiterated their support for continued bilateral civil nuclear cooperation and their commitment to further strengthen global non-proliferation. Australia expressed its strong support for India’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG),” the statement said. The NSG is a 48-nation grouping which regulates global nuclear commerce.
Admission of new members is done through consensus. India had formally applied for membership in May 2016. Even though India has the backing of the majority of the group’s members, China has been blocking its entry into the bloc.
Australia also reiterated its support for India’s candidacy for permanent membership of a reformed UN Security Council (UNSC) and India’s candidature for a non-permanent seat at the UNSC for the 2021-22 term, it said.
During the talks, Australia also welcomed the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s strategic partnership with India. Australia looks forward to continuing to work closely on building stronger ties between India and the IEA community, the statement said.
The two countries also vowed to strengthen cooperation in the fields of energy and environment.
They decided to progress their Energy Dialogue, which will further cooperation in areas such as pumped hydro storage, cost-effective battery technologies, hydrogen and coal gasification, adoption of clean energy technology, fly ash management technologies, and solar forecasting and scheduling.
“Both countries committed to continue to collaborate on climate change, energy security and other issues of importance to the region and wider world, especially through the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI),” the statement said, adding that Australia is proud to be a founding member of both organisations.
Noting that education, research and skills are a central component of the relationship, both countries said they underpin their progress and growth trajectories, and that the exchange of students and academics between the them generates valuable people-to-people links.
“We agree to continue efforts to expand our partnership in these areas, including to deepen research collaboration. We will work together to support the development of education campuses in each other’s countries,” the joint statement said.
“As India continues its ambitious skills reform agenda, we have concluded a new Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Vocational Education and Training to forge new bonds of cooperation in policy development, programme delivery and information exchange,” it said.
On collaboration in the tourism sector, the statement said both sides decided to renew the 2015 MoU in order to identify opportunities to strengthen, deepen and broaden cooperation in the travel, tourism and aviation sector.
The two countries noted the importance of inter-parliamentary interaction as a valuable component of their bilateral relations, the statement said. The Indian diaspora in Australia is now the fastest-growing large diaspora, it said.
In recognition of the growing contribution of Indian-Australians to the bilateral relationship, the two sides said they will continue to work to deepen diaspora and community-level contact.
Both countries agreed to hold a senior-level dialogue to discuss India’s proposed draft Migration and Mobility Partnership Arrangement, which outlines ways to cooperate on the prevention of illegal migration, people smuggling and trafficking in human beings, and is also designed to facilitate mobility of students, academics and researchers and migration for professional and economic reasons, the statement said.
To provide oversight of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and to deepen economic and strategic cooperation into the future, India and Australia affirmed their desire to increase the frequency of Prime Ministerial contact through reciprocal bilateral visits and annual meetings in the margins of international events.
“To pursue CSP, our Foreign and Defence Ministers will meet in a ‘2+2’ format to discuss strategic issues at least every two years,” the statement said.
Both countries also jointly decided to continue their regular interactions under the Foreign Ministers Framework Dialogue (FMFD).
They also decided to continue regular meetings of the annual Australia-India Joint Ministerial Commission to enhance trade and investment relations between the two countries.
India and Australia also decided to use the existing ‘Consular Dialogue’ Mechanism to address the entire gamut of consular matters. Both sides jointly decided to enhance their partnership in the domain of education through the Australia-India Education Council.
The Virtual Summit is yet another milestone in furthering the longstanding, deep and cooperative ties between India and Australia, the statement said.
Britain’s Prince Charles has said that the recovery from the coronavirus crisis represented a “reset moment†for the world and was an opportunity to prioritize sustainability issues, as he made the opening remarks at a virtual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting,writes Sarah Young.
The 71-year-old prince, who himself has recovered after suffering mild symptoms of COVID-19, has championed environmental causes for decades, warning that global warming and climate change were the greatest threats to humanity.
He said that rebuilding the world from the devastating impact of the “dreadful†coronavirus pandemic presented an opportunity for those environmental causes.
“We have a unique but rapidly shrinking window of opportunity to learn lessons and reset ourselves on a more sustainable path,†Charles told the WEF meeting on Wednesday (3 June).
He said that the pandemic, which due to lockdowns and restrictions has meant less industrial activity and travel, had showed people that dramatic change was possible.
“We have a golden opportunity to seize something good from this crisis. Its unprecedented shockwaves may well make people more receptive to big visions of change,†he added.
His speech was part of a launch event for “The Great Resetâ€, a project involving the WEF and the Prince of Wales’s Sustainable Markets Initiative, aimed at rebuilding the economic and social system to be more sustainable.
Unlike the disease, there are solutions to climate change, Charles said, mentioning renewable energy and through putting nature back at the centre of how people live their lives.
Using social media and a virtual hubs network, the WEF’s Great Reset is aiming to involve young people across the world to help develop practical solutions and mobilise them to work towards a more sustainable way of life.
“I can only encourage us all to think big and act now,†said Charles.
With up to 130 different countries represented, the multicultural food hub of Bankstown in Sydney’s southwest should be on the list for all food lovers as COVID-19 lockdown restrictions ease. Photography by James Brickwood.
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The ladies of the Olympic Continental Deli and Butchery.Credit:James Brickwood
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The Olympic Continental Deli and Butchery.Credit:James Brickwood
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At the Banh Cuon Vietnamese shop, Anthony Dinh with his mum Kim Thanh prepare dishes.Credit:James Brickwood
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The multicultural food hub of Bankstown in Sydney’s south-west.Credit:James Brickwood
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Valley View Continental Spices & Groceries owner Ali Hamad pours some coffee for us.Credit:James Brickwood
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Various ingredients on the shelf at the Valley View Continental Spices & Groceries store.Credit:James Brickwood
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Herbs and spices available at the Valley View Continental Spices & Groceries store. Credit:James Brickwood
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Valley View Continental Spices & Groceries storefront.Credit:James Brickwood
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Valley view Continental Spices Credit:James Brickwood
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Mohammad El Basha from Chehade El Bahsa & Sons Sweets shop.Credit:James Brickwood
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Various produce available at the Olympic Continental Deli and Butchery.Credit:James Brickwood
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A customer peruses the various produce available at the Valley View Continental Spices shop.Credit:James Brickwood
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Customers check out the fresh fruit and vegetable available in a number of shops in Bankstown.Credit:James Brickwood
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Customers check out the fresh seafood available at the Wha Wang Fish Market.Credit:James Brickwood
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Lebanese style pizza’s, called ‘Manoushe’ are a common breakfast and lunch staple served by Khalil Lebanese Pizza.Credit:James Brickwood
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Bacon bones available at the Olympic Continental Deli and Butchery.Credit:James Brickwood
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Taste Tours around Bankstown’s multicultural food hub. Credit:James Brickwood
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Lebanese herbal tea available at the Valley View Continental Spices store.Credit:James Brickwood
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Bountiful seafood options at the local fish market in Bankstown.Credit:James Brickwood
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Mohammad El Basha samples a dessert in between customers at the Chehade El Bahsa & Sons Sweets shop.Credit:James Brickwood
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Kim Thanh cooking in her son Anthony Dinh’s Vietnamese restaurant.Credit:James Brickwood
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Bankstown’s restaurants, cafes and food stalls are emerging from the Covid-19 restrictions.Credit:James Brickwood
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Various styles of nuts available.Credit:James Brickwood
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A Manoush style pizza is cut up at the Khalil Lebanese Pizza shop.Credit:James Brickwood
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Khalil Lebanese Pizza.Credit:James Brickwood
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A meat smallgood is sliced up for a customer at the Olympic Continental Deli and Butchery.Credit:James Brickwood
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BankstownCredit:James Brickwood
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A delivery truck arrives at the North Terrace Fish Market in Bankstown.Credit:James Brickwood
“With a number of clubs moving to Stage 1, it’s important for us to give players, coaches and clubs clarity on when they can look to return,” says Premiership Rugby chief executive
Last Updated: 05/06/20 7:45am
Premiership Rugby are planning for a mid-August restart
Premiership Rugby are targeting Saturday August 15 for the resumption of play for England’s top division of professional rugby.
At a board meeting on Thursday night, the target restart date was agreed following the announcement earlier this week that Premiership clubs can return to training.
Darren Childs, Chief Executive of Premiership Rugby said: “Nothing will happen until it is safe to do so but we will do everything we can to resume the 2019-20 Gallagher Premiership Rugby campaign on Saturday August 15.
“We won’t take risks with people’s health, and rugby has unique challenges due to levels of proximity and impact, but with a number of clubs moving to Stage 1, it is important for us to give players, coaches and clubs clarity on when they can look to return. Bearing that in mind, we look forward to the restart of the season.”
The structure of the 2019-20 season will follow in due course.
Exeter Chiefs currently lead the Premiership after 13 rounds of fixtures played by 45 points, five ahead of second-placed Sale Sharks.
Leicester Tigers, Saracens, Sale, Gloucester, Wasps, Worcester and Harlequins are among the clubs which have announced 25 per cent salary cuts for players, to help ease the financial burden on clubs, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Gemma Padley is a photography writer and editor. The following is an edited excerpt from the book “Portrait of Humanity Vol. 2,” published by Hoxton Mini Press. The book brings together 200 shortlisted images for this year’s Portrait of Humanity award, an annual prize awarded by 1854 Media. All opinions expressed in this article belong to the author.
Whether we are taking the picture, being photographed or looking at an image, photography invites us to pause and think about what makes us human, to celebrate our differences and to remember that we are not that different after all. Looking through the images in the new book “Portrait of Humanity Vol. 2,” it’s heartening to see so many examples of the best of humanity captured through photography’sever-shifting lens.
The images in this collection whisk us off on a journey through 21st century life where we experience the entire gamut of human emotion and experience. There are displays of courage, love, tenderness, defiance, camaraderie and strength; there is eccentricity, playfulness, loss, companionship, despair, laughter, faith, hope and new life. Each image is like a portal into a world where, for the briefest of moments, we connect with the person or people depicted and share something of their experience in a very visceral, intimate way.
“Ebola Survivor Celina Kamanda” by Simon Davis Magazine Wharf, Freetown, Sierra Leone. Credit: SIMON DAVIS / DFID
And what sobering experiences they are. Celina lost her family to Ebola and wants to be a doctor so she can help others. She has not been cowed by the disease, rather she defiantly meets our gaze amid the ramshackle surroundings of Magazine Wharf, one of the largest slums in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown.
Elsewhere, Grace has chosen to use alternative therapies to treat her tumor and, like her name, she is the epitome of humility and dignity as she stands submerged in water. Carol Anne Mayer survived a house fire and has rebuilt her life; now she voluntarily counsels burns victims. These women, like many others in the book, have come through or are coping with huge challenges, but they refuse to be beaten. Their remarkable resilience is deeply humbling.
“The Family at the End of the World” by Michael O. Snyder Svalbard, Norway Credit: Michael O. Snyder
There are the people boldly adapting to a changing world or who keep on keeping on even as their way of life is increasingly threatened. That’s shown by a little girl whose family lives on the remote Arctic Archipelago of Svalbard where the signs of climate emergency are rapid and profound: waters are warming, sea ice is melting. Beneath a threatening sky she plays on a trampoline as any child plays anywhere in the world.
There are those who have found great comfort through photography, such as the mother who took pictures to cope with the challenges of caring for her ailing father and young son, or the photographer who began a portrait project with her mother who has depression.
“Swimmers” by Attilio Fiumarella Birmingham, UK Credit: Attilio Fiumarella
And there are those who come together for what they believe in and to effect change: the Birmingham swimmers literally standing side by side to protest against the closure of their local swimming pool, or the performance artist-activists at Extinction Rebellion’s “Spring Uprising” in 2019 who use art to confront the seminal issue of our time head-on.
Hope and courage can be found in abundance in these portraits, from Pakistan to Tanzania, Bolivia to Greenland. In times of extreme crisis, art becomes more vital, more necessary, more urgent than ever.
Steve Priest, bassist of popular British glam-rock band The Sweet, dies at 72
Steve Priest, bassist of popular British glam-rock band The Sweet, has died at the age of 72. Priest’s band members confirmed the news on Twitter sharing a statement from the musician’s family. “It is with a heavy heart that we announce at 8:25 am (Pacific Time) today, Steve Priest, founding member of The Sweet, passed away,†the statement read. The cause of death has not been announced yet.
Dear Friends and Fans, We have very sad news – Please see the below statement from Steve Priest’s family. Love – Richie, Stevie, Mitch & Paulie:
The Sweet emerged as one of the most successful bands from glam-rock era in the 1970s. Priest founded the group in the late 1960s with singer Brian Connolly, guitarist Andy Scott and drummer Mick Tucker. The band became popular in the UK with their lightweight and easy bubblegum pop songs like “Ballroom Blitz,†“Little Willie,†“Wig Wam Bamâ€, but penned more serious songs like “Action” and “Fox on the run” to make foray into the US music scene.
Dear Friends and Fans, We have very sad news – Please see the below statement from Steve Priest’s family. Love – Richie, Stevie, Mitch & Paulie:
In 1971 the group completely went into the glam zone, with Priest putting on a lot of makeup, to accompany his shimmery attire and heels. The Sweet disbanded in 1981.
Priest is survived by his wife, Maureen, three daughters, Lisa, Danielle and Maggie and three grandchildren, Jordan, Jade and Hazel.
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