Monthly Archives: May 2021

How much would it cost to provide maternity leave to working mothers in Indonesia’s informal sector?

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New research reveals that the annual cost to provide maternity cash transfers to women working in Indonesia’s informal sector would be a worthwhile investment. The financing need would be below 0.5% of the country’s 2018 nominal GDP, significantly lower than the current annual cost of not breastfeeding in Indonesia – estimated at $USD 9.4 billion,… Read more »

Health

Does loss of smell in COVID patients mean the virus has infected their brain?

Around 50% of people confirmed to have COVID-19 report a loss or reduction in the sense of smell. But does this imply that the virus is neuro-invasive through the olfactory neurons? A new study concludes that the olfactory nerve is an unlikely route to brain infection, which is thought to be a rare occurrence in humans.

Biology Health Medical Evidence Medicine Open Access Publishing

Obesity and COVID-19

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COVID-19 has claimed more than 1.25 million human lives since December 2019 when the SARS-CoV-2 emerged. It has been demonstrated that obesity is an risk factor for worse outcomes, however it is unclear whether the association of obesity with worse outcomes is sex-specific. The authors of a new article on this issue explores the relationship in this blog.

Health

I have mild asthma — I only need to use a reliever

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This year’s World Asthma Day is dedicated to uncovering asthma’s misconceptions and disseminating accurate information to patients, prescribers, and caretakers. In this blog, the Editor in Chief of Asthma Research and Practice, Andras Bikov, discusses the common misconception that the only necessary treatment for mild asthma is an inhaler.

Health Medicine