As a teacher, researcher and scientist, I have often reminded my students to let the facts speak for themselves. When it comes to the psychological effects of online distance learning on our children, the data,is sobering. But no parent needs data to know that six months of being forced to learn from screens has done serious damage to our children. Lest you label me a ‘Covid-denier’, let me assure you know that I am all...
Covid-19 is far more serious for those with Type 2 diabetes.
An Emirati technology company has formed a partnership with a Chinese medical firm to develop and test a Coronavirus vaccine in the UAE. Group 42 (G42) will carry out clinical trials under the supervision of Abu Dhabi’s Department of Health, Wam, the state news agency, announced this week. The partnership between G42 and China National Biotec Group was formally launched this week at ceremonies in Abu Dhabi, Beijing and Wuhan. Trials in the UAE mark...
What an extraordinary year 2020 is turning out to be. So far, we have spent a good portion of it in seclusion due to Corona times. As we begin to emerge, it is time to reflect on the past few months. These are a few of my thoughts and lessons I’ve learned. Making plans is pointless I had planned a trip to Japan this spring for the cherry blossom festival and then another...
As we have learned, living through a pandemic can trigger all sorts of negative thoughts and emotions. The reality of what’s happening can get overwhelming and send you into a spiral of negativity that affects how you live your life. In challenging times when things feel out of control, the best place to start is with you. You have control in cultivating a positive mindset. Use the tips below to help you manage during this...
Anyone found to be spreading false health information or rumors about communicable diseases and epidemics like coronavirus can be fined Dh20,000, according to a decision by the UAE’s Council of Ministers. The decision was announced via Wam, the state news agency, on April 18 2020 in light of government efforts to promote health awareness through facts, instructions and correct procedures, certified speakers and experts, and accredited government sources. The only bodies that can legally make health...
As parents, you were probably already worried about your children having too much screen time before Covid-19 changed your lives. But why not use that technology for good? We’ve rounded up some of the educators, influencers, organizers and parents – many of them right here in the UAE – who are coming up with inventive ways to do just that. Along the way they are managing to engage little ones – all without a mindless...
We are currently living in a challenging time of fear, uncertainty and panic centered on staying healthy and avoiding the highly infectious Covid-19. One of the best ways to do that (apart from washing your hands and staying indoors) is to ensure your immune system is in peak condition. But how does one go about that? A balanced diet is key, but it’s not always enough. Sometimes, you may need supplementary vitamins and nutrients. But it is...
Hearing that the number of UAE residents that have recovered from Covid-19 is rising provides a glimmer of hope in the fight against coronavirus. With global headlines saturated with new infections, rising death tolls, border closures and quarantine enforcements, we all need a little positive pick me up. We have rounded up some real nuggets of optimism that are surfacing about the crisis, so don’t give up hope. Centenarians are surviving Covid-19 Two 103-year-old women...
As hysteria, fear and panic over Covid-19 have turned so many cities around the world into empty ghost towns, it seems many people have also abandoned common sense and logic. Although the need for caution cannot be overstated to protect the elderly and other vulnerable individuals, experts in the field of mental health are warning the rest of us that we also have a duty to be level-headed – not only to set an example...
This story originally appeared in The Guardian and is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalistic collaboration to strengthen coverage of the climate story. It is a global emergency that has already killed on a mass scale and threatens to send millions more to early graves. As its effects spread, it could destabilize entire economies and overwhelm poorer countries that are lacking resources and infrastructure. But this is...
