6 new coronaviruses discovered in bats

 
Firefighters applaud medical workers outside the Phyllis And William Mack Pavilion in the
Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., on April 10.
Scientists have discovered six entirely new coronaviruses lurking in bats in Myanmar. 

These viruses are in the same family as the SARS-CoV-2 virus that is currently spreading
across the globe; but the researchers said the newbies aren't closely related genetically to
SARS-CoV-2 or to the two other coronaviruses that cause severe infections in humans —
severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which caused the 2002-2003 pandemic, and
Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

The researchers
discovered the viruses
while surveying bats in
Myanmar as part of a
government-funded
program called PREDICT
to identify infectious
diseases that have the
potential to hop from
animals to humans. And
bats are prime suspects, as
the mammals are thought
to host thousands of yet-to-
be-discovered
coronaviruses. SARS-CoV-
2, which causes the disease COVID-19, is also thought to have originated in bats before taking
up residence in humans, possibly taking a detour through some intermediary host first.

Between 2016 and 2018, they collected hundreds of samples of saliva and guano (or bat
poop) from 464 bats from at least 11 different species; they sampled at three locations in
Myanmar where humans come into close contact with wildlife due to land use changes and
recreational and cultural activities — such as guano harvesting for fertilizer. 

"Two of these sites also featured popular cave systems where people were routinely exposed
to bats through guano harvesting, religious practices and ecotourism," the researchers wrote in
their study published online April 9 in the journal PLOS ONE.

The researchers analyzed genetic sequences from these samples and compared them with
genomes of known coronaviruses. The new viruses were found in three bat species: the
Greater Asiatic yellow house bat (Scotophilus heathii), where PREDICT-CoV-90 was found;
the wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat (Chaerephon plicatus), which was host to PREDICT-CoV-47
and -82; and Horsfield's leaf-nosed bat (Hipposideros larvatus), which carried PREDICT-CoV-
92, -93 and -96.

Further research is needed to understand the potential for these six newfound viruses to move
to other species and how they might impact human health, the researchers said. 
"Many coronaviruses may not pose a risk to people, but when we identify these diseases early
on in animals, at the source, we have a valuable opportunity to investigate the potential threat,"
study co-author Suzan Murray, director of the Smithsonian's Global Health Program, said in a
statement. "Vigilant surveillance, research and education are the best tools we have to prevent
pandemics before they occur."

Contact between humans and wildlife is only becoming more prevalent, they noted, adding that
the current devastation caused by COVID-19 is just one reminder of how closely human health
is linked to such interactions.

"Worldwide, humans are interacting with wildlife with increasing frequency, so the more we
understand about these viruses in animals — what allows them to mutate and how they spread
to other species –– the better we can reduce their pandemic potential," lead study author Marc
Valitutto, former wildlife veterinarian with the Smithsonian's Global Health Program, said in the
statement.

Opposition slams govt over creation of ‘Tiger Force’

ISLAMABAD: Opposition members during a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on
Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) on Thursday lambasted the government for its decision to
establish a “Tiger Force” and for handing over key affairs to non-elected people. 

Informed sources told Dawn that during an in-camera meeting of the committee, headed by
National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, members belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-
Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) and Jamaat-i-
Islami (JI) unanimously rejected the idea of establishing the volunteers’ force, alleging that the
ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) was politicising ongoing national efforts to fight the Covid-
19 pandemic.

According to the sources, the committee members witnessed a brief heated exchange of
arguments between PML-N’s Mushahidullah Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood
Qureshi when the latter defended Prime Minister Imran Khan’s decision to establish the Tiger
Force, claiming that the youth from any political party could join it. 

Pointing towards Adviser to the PM on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and Adviser on
Commerce Abdul Razzak Dawood, who were participating in the meeting through the video
links, Mushahidullah Khan objected that the two men were non-elected and they had been
given the most important portfolios.

Similarly, the sources said, the PML-N senator pointed out that Special Assistant to the PM on
Health Dr Zafar Mirza and head of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lt
Gen Mohammad Afzal, the two key personalities leading the nation’s war against Covid-19,
were also non-elected.

He was of the view that technocrats should not be allowed to formulate policies as they were
not directly answerable to the people. 

The PML-N senator also criticised the government for closing all dispensaries, medical stores
and OPDs of hospitals across the country, as this government step was causing problems for
the masses. He said even the Chief Justice of Pakistan had made adverse remarks over the
issue when he had to face difficulties in getting the treatment of his wife due to closure of the
dispensary.

He alleged that there was a lack of coordination between the Centre and provinces. 

The parliamentary committee meeting took place only a day after the prime minister made an
appeal to the country’s youth to get themselves registered with the Coronavirus Relief Tiger
Force (CRTF) to help the poor and daily-wage earners and provide them food and medical
assistance. The prime minister had also disclosed that already 750,000 volunteers had got
themselves registered with the CRTF.

Parliamentary leader of the PML-N in the National Assembly Khawaja Asif said it was an
inappropriate act of the government to use official resources for the publicity of the PTI through
printing of party flags, banners and shirts during relief activities in the fight against Covid-19.

“Do not use official resources for the promotion of a particular political party,” he said.

“There is a need for national unity on a national crisis. Don’t divide the nation on different
grounds as this is not the time to do politics,” the PML-N leader said, adding: “The use of Tiger
Force is nothing but politics. It is against the national spirit to fight Covid-19 jointly.”

Khawaja Asif also condemned the use of police force against protesting young doctors in
Balochistan and expressed concern over shifting of coronavirus-affected people from
quarantines to provinces.

He alleged that the federal government was itself responsible for the spread of coronavirus in
the country as 50 per cent of the people tested positive had been sent to provinces by it.

Meanwhile, according to an official handout, the parliamentary committee approved 12 terms

of references (ToR) prepared by a sub-committee, headed by Minister for Narcotics Control
Azam Swati.

The opposition members raised a number of questions about non-availability of ventilators,

testing kits and other equipment required for treating coronavirus patients, utilisation of funds
and distribution of relief items. 

Foreign Minister Qureshi said the main objective of the committee was to collect inputs from
political leaders and send them to the National Command and Control Centre and the National
Coordination Committee for taking further inputs and decisions and for implementation.

He said the role of the parliamentary committee would be oversight of the activities of the
government relating to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Qureshi said that food items would be distributed to 12 million people as per old data and
four million people as per new data and prescribed procedure was being finalised for
distribution of food, protective gear and testing kits and all data would be available on the
website.

The next meeting of the committee will be held on April 20.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2020

Govt to take steps to stabilise Rupee

In an attempt to stabilize the foreign exchange rate and lower the impact of Rupee
depreciation, the Government will issue a new gazette notification on special financial
arrangements, Co-cabinet Spokesman Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardene said yesterday.

According to him, the respective gazette notification was to be published yesterday.

Highlighting the measures taken by the Government, Dr. Gunawardene told media at the
Cabinet news briefing that the Government had already opened a special account for Sri
Lankans living abroad and foreign nationals willing to invest in Sri Lanka.

The new account which the government had opened is a more profitable investment for the
depositors who deposit their money for a minimum of six-months, according to him.

He also noted that the Sri Lankan Rupee had been depreciated by 4000 percent in 2019 when
compared to 1950 due to the improper financial management of the Yahapalana Government.

“When President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected as the President the value of a US dollar
remained at Rs.182. Now the Rupee is further depreciating due to the international financial
crisis resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has a very big
responsibility to control this situation,” he said adding that the Government has decided to limit
the importation of non-essential and luxury items.

The Minister assured that the Economic Centres will remain open for wholesale vendors in
order to provide facilities for farmers targeting the Sinhala and Tamil New Year season to sell
their produce.

“Both farmers and vendors have been strictly advised to follow the instructions given by the
medical authorities,” he added.

He said that under the guidance of Prime Minister and Finance Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa
the Treasury Secretary has already issued sufficient funds for the District Secretaries of
Puttalam, Hambantota and Matara Districts to purchase the harvest of fishermen those who
engaged in their fishing activities in deep sea targeting the Sinhala and Tamil New Year
season.

Pakistan Reopens Factories During Virus Lockdown as

Exports Drop
(Bloomberg) -- Pakistan is reopening some factories amid a national lockdown to counter the
deadly coronavirus pandemic as the south Asian nation expects its exports will decline by 50%
in the next two months.

The companies with export orders will start working again with precautionary measures
including calling in only essential employees and ensuring regular disinfection, Abdul Razak
Dawood, the commerce adviser said in a phone call, late Thursday. Exporters such as
Interloop Ltd., which supplies to Nike Inc. and Puma SE, have reopened their factories.

The International Monetary Fund plans to approve and disburse an additional $1.4 billion in
emergency financing to Pakistan next week to help the nation shield its economy. This is in
addition to Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has warned the pandemic may spread in coming
weeks, announcing multiple stimulus packages including its largest-ever cash payouts and for
the reopening of the construction industry starting next week.

Pakistan’s decision to reopen some factories comes after a global slowdown and the IMF
predicting the world economy this year will suffer its worst recession since the Great
Depression. A Bloomberg survey forecast Pakistan’s $315 billion economy will expand 0.8%
this year, compared with the earlier forecast of 2.6%. The country’s exports fell 8.5% in March.

Pakistan had pinned its hopes of getting out of its regular economic boom and bust cycle
through exports but they will fall by as much as 50% over the next few months, Dawood said.
There will be a “slow recovery, very slow recovery,” he added.

The virus outbreak has infected 4,489 people and 63 have died amid low testing in Pakistan.
The government has said it will take a decision on April 14 whether to extend the nationwide
partial lockdown.

Australia did not go 'easy' on Kohli, says Paine

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia captain Tim Paine has dismissed the suggestion of his
predecessor Michael Clarke that his players went soft on India skipper Virat Kohli in their 2018-
19 series for fear of losing lucrative Indian Premier League contracts.

Kohli led India to their first test series triumph in Australia on the tour, which came a few
months after Steve Smith and David Warner were banned for their parts in the Newlands ball-
tampering scandal.

Clarke told a local radio station this week he thought Australian cricket, reeling from that
scandal, had "sucked up" to India and that some players did not "sledge" the opposition
because they wanted to play with them in the IPL.

"I certainly didn't notice too many people being that nice to Virat or not trying to get him out or
anything like that," Paine, who took over from Smith after Newlands and captained Australia
throughout the India series, told ESPN Cricinfo.

"I thought everyone who had the ball in their hand or when we were batting were trying their
absolute best to win the game for Australia.

"I'm not sure who was going easy on him. We certainly had a thing where we didn't want to
provoke any fight with him because we think that's when he plays at his best.

Related Slideshow: Virat Kohli - On and off the cricket field (Provided by Photo
Services)
India's Virat Kohli is one of the most successful international cricketers at the moment —
equally proficient in all three formats of the game (Test, One Day Internationals and T20s). Let
us take a look at some highlights from his life and career so far.

*All rankings and statistics correct as of Sept. 3, 2019.

"I certainly wasn't holding back, but again the IPL's not a huge draw for me at the moment, so I
had nothing to lose.

"But anytime our guys go out and play a test match for Australia, they'll be giving their absolute
all and I'm pretty sure they're not thinking about an IPL contract when they're running in,
bowling to Virat."

IPL contracts are extremely lucrative with Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins becoming the
most expensive overseas buy in December when Kolkata Knight Riders paid $2.18 million for
him.

The start of this year's IPL has already been pushed back to April 15 because of the
coronavirus pandemic, with further postponements looking likely.

India are scheduled to play another four-test series in Australia at the end of the year, although
a significant relaxation of government measures currently in place to control the virus would be
required for the tour to go ahead.

7 Foods That Are Actually Damaging Your Kidneys

Kidneys do a tough job. Filtering and excreting waste products in the bloodstream is just the
start. Your kidneys also maintain the body’s overall fluid balance as well as release hormones
that make red blood cells, ensure bone health, and regulate blood pressure.

We put our kidneys through a lot, both knowingly and unknowingly, via diet, medications, and
environmental toxins. The result can be a struggle with kidney cancer, stones, polycystic
kidney disease or even kidney failure.

Some stresses on our kidneys can’t be helped, and because they are designed to handle
toxins, we can trust that our kidneys are tough. But any organ can become overburdened and
sustain damage.

You might be surprised to know how many foods can damage the kidneys, even seemingly
healthy ones. Make sure you’re not overdoing it on any of the following 7 foods.

7. Nuts

If you are prone to kidney stones, nuts are not a good snack. They contain a category of
mineral called oxalates, which are found in the most common type of kidney stone. If you’ve
had stones in the past, skip the nuts all together.
For healthy people, it’s important to be aware of your intake of oxalate-containing foods, such
as spinach, beets, potato chips, French fries, and bran flakes.
Some of these items, including nuts, can be very healthy additions to your diet. But as with all
things, balance is key. Choose a variety of greens rather than just spinach, and eat nuts only in
moderation.

6. Avocados

Not avocados! These creamy and delicious green fruits are what taught us that eating fat is
okay. However, avocados also come with a high dose of potassium, which controls fluids,
electrolyte balance, and pH level. Kidneys rely on the right balance of potassium and sodium
to do their job properly; too much of either spells trouble.
Hyperkalemia is the name for having too much potassium in the blood, and this happens in
people with advanced kidney disease. It often causes nausea, weakness, numbness, and slow
heart rate.
Luckily, you needn’t worry too much about avocados or potassium if you don’t have pre-
existing kidney disease. Most of us don’t get enough potassium in our daily diets anyway.

5. Caffeine

This is a rough one if you rely on your morning cup of coffee or tea to get going each day.
Soda and energy drinks are similarly dangerous if you already have issues with your kidneys.
Studies show that long-term caffeine consumption can worsen chronic kidney disease and
may increase the risk of kidney stones.
Caffeine is a mild diuretic, which affects the kidneys’ ability to absorb water. In reasonable
amounts, this shouldn’t stop your kidneys from accessing enough water to do their job, but in
excess it can be a problem.

Caffeine also stimulates blood flow and thereby increases blood pressure. Again, not a
problem if you have normal blood pressure, but something to watch if your pressure is high.

4. Dairy Products

Dairy products, including milk, cheese, and yogurt, are loaded with calcium and increase the
level of calcium in your urine. This has been linked with a higher risk of kidney stones.
For people who already have kidney disease, reducing consumption of dairy has been found to
make the filtering work done by kidneys easier on them. This can delay the need for dialysis.

Butter is a dairy product high in saturated fat, which ups the risk of heart disease.
Unfortunately, heart disease is a major risk factor for kidney disease, and kidney disease
presents similar risks to the heart.

Switch to olive oil flavored with your favorite herbs for topping bread and dressing vegetables
to reduce your reliance on butter.

3. Salt

Sodium works in combination with potassium to maintain the fluid balance in your body, which
is crucial to proper functioning of the kidneys. But most of us get way too much sodium in our
diets, even before we salt food at the table. Processed products contain a ton of it, more than
you’d even guess.
Too much sodium causes the kidneys to retain water in order to dilute the salt in your
bloodstream, which places an undue burden on them.

A long-term salt habit raises blood pressure and can actually damage the kidneys’ nephrons,
the microscopic structures that filter waste. Stick to fresh whole foods as much as possible so
that you can control the salt level.
2. Meat

Meat contains a significant amount of protein. Now, protein is very important to growth
processes and the health of our muscles, but metabolizing it is one of the hardest jobs our
kidneys do.

A diet high in animal-based proteins also increases the risk for kidney stones. For those
reasons, a high protein diet is not recommended for people with kidney disease.
Meat, especially organ meat like liver, also has a high concentration of purine. Purine
stimulates the production of uric acid, a waste product that is normally processed out by the
kidneys. Too much is overwhelming and can cause stones.

1. Artificial Sweeteners

If you are relying on artificial sweeteners in an effort to reduce your sugar consumption, you
aren’t actually doing your body any favors. While opinions are mixed on the overall safety of
these sugar substitutes, we know that just two diet sodas per day will cause a decline in kidney
function.

Some studies have concluded that people who use artificial sweeteners in their beverages
don’t actually take in less sugar overall, but if you still want to use a sugar substitute, stevia is
your best option.
Stevia is a natural herbal extract that has been used in South America for hundreds of years
with no reported adverse effects.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Each of the foods and food additives on our list are best eaten in moderation because of the
load they put on your kidneys.

Most are not necessarily dangerous if you have healthy kidney function, but are definitely not
recommended for people who have been diagnosed with kidney disease.

And because the kidneys play such a vital role in detoxifying the body, it makes good sense to
take care of them while you can.

Here’s What You Probably Didn’t Know About Coffee

If you’re a coffee drinker, you probably know everything about the difference between Arabica
and Robusta beans, dark and light roast, and caffeinated vs. decaf.

You have likely noticed that just smelling coffee can give you a boost of energy before you
take your first sip – not that it’s enough to make you skip that cup of joe.
Coffee is clearly an extremely popular and widely consumed beverage, so it might not surprise
you to hear that coffee is the second most traded product in the world (after oil), with 25 million
farmers in over 50 countries involved in its production.

But how much do you know about the history and the science of coffee? Get ready for a
fascinating look behind the curtain of your morning pick-me-up.

7. The world’s most expensive coffee costs up to $600 a pound

For that much money, it’s got to be something truly special. We guess that’s one word for it –
this particular coffee is extracted from the feces of a Sumatran wildcat called a civet. The
animals love the berries but are unable to digest the beans.

The beans are therefore fermented in the stomach of the animal before being excreted. This
apparently produces a smooth and chocolaty coffee with no bitterness once the beans are
collected from the feces (and, we assume, washed). To each their own, we guess.

6. It only grows well near the equator

Today, the majority of coffee is grown in Brazil, which produces a full 40% of the world’s
supply. That’s twice as much as 2nd and 3rd place producers, Colombia and Vietnam. The
only state in the U.S. that grows coffee commercially is Hawaii, with its distinctive Kona beans.

Each of these locations enjoys the year-round warmth and humidity associated with equatorial
regions, a climate that is much preferred by coffee berries. In fact, the area between latitudes
25 degrees North and 30 degrees South has been nicknamed the “Bean Belt” for this reason.
5. Coffee has been banned many times throughout history

As world governments became more advanced, so did efforts to harsh everyone’s buzz.
Coffee was banned in Mecca in 1511 because officials were sure that it caused radical
thinking.

Italian clergymen took it a step further in the later 16th century by labeling coffee satanic. By
1623, Ottoman leader Murad IV decided to institute punishments for drinking coffee, such as
being beaten or thrown into the sea.
The Swedish government made owning coffee paraphernalia illegal in 1746, and that included
mugs and dishes that could theoretically be used for other things.

Another attempt to ban coffee occurred in 1777, when Frederick the Great of Prussia banned
coffee because he was worried about beer sales. But as we know, nothing could stop the
runaway train that is coffee consumption. (And beer is doing just fine, too.)
4. Shepherds discovered coffee in Ethiopia around 800 A.D.

The legend goes that goat herders in the early 9th century noticed that their goats seemed to
dance after eating coffee berries. A local monk got the idea to make a beverage with the
berries, and after drinking it, he predictably stayed up all night. That event marks the birth of
the original cup of coffee, but in the earliest use of coffee overall, the berries were mixed with
fat to create an energy-rich snack.
If you prefer your history codified, the first written record of the coffee plant comes from Yemen
at the end of the 15th century. After discovery of the plant, coffee was very quickly exported to
the rest of the world. Cultivation began in the 1600s.
3. Coffee stays hotter when cream is added

And now for a little something about the science of coffee. Adding cream to your brew actually
keeps it warmer longer, even though the initial addition of cold cream cools it somewhat.
Overall, coffee with cream cools 20% slower than black. That’s true for a couple of reasons.
First, the darker the beverage, the faster it gives off heat. And second, the more viscous the
beverage (coffee with cream is thicker than black coffee), the slower it gives off heat.

There is also some evidence that the caffeine in coffee with a dairy additive (milk or cream) is
absorbed more slowly by the body. That can decrease the zing you get from it. However, it’s
not decreased by much, and other things play a greater role in how quickly caffeine is
metabolized, including how much fiber you also have in your stomach.

2. Coffee is a fruit

The coffee “beans” that we use are actually seeds. More accurately, they are the pits of a
stone fruit that resembles a cherry. Grown on bushes, coffee cherries contain two seeds,
positioned with the flat sides together. About 10-15% of coffee cherries have only one seed,
which is called a peaberry. It’s commonly believed that peaberry seeds have more flavor,
though there’s no real proof of this claim.
But what happens to the cherry when its seed is extracted? Unfortunately, up to 46 billion
pounds of them are simply thrown away.

Concerned about the waste, some companies are starting to produce a product called coffee
flour, made from dried coffee fruit. It is said to taste nutty and slightly bitter, with as much
caffeine as dark chocolate. But the nutritional benefits are the real surprise. Coffee flour is a
rich source of fiber, antioxidants, iron, protein, and potassium.
1. Coffee is healthy

And finally, you don’t need to feel bad about drinking so much of it. Many regular coffee
drinkers harbor some guilt about their habit, but that shouldn’t come from the quality of the
beverage itself. Sure, if you spend half your food budget on Starbucks or dump a full day’s
worth of sugar into each cup, that’s not great.

But coffee drinkers get health benefits from the habit, too. The coffee itself has high levels of
antioxidants as well as potassium, manganese, and B vitamins.
And research shows that the caffeine in coffee offers protection against Alzheimer’s, type 2
diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease. Women also seem to have a lower risk of skin
cancer when they consume caffeine regularly.
So the next time you are sharing a cup of coffee with a new friend, or an uncomfortable silence
falls over the breakfast table, you’ll have lots of interesting tidbits about coffee to share.

And don’t let anyone hassle you about your little habit – coffee is one addiction that’s okay to
lean into. In fact, if you want to help save the planet, buy coffee flour, too.