3-D printers help save lives from virus in Italy

Yahoo – AFP, Arman SOLDIN, March 24, 2020

The margin of error for the 3-D printing, shown here, of Venturi respirator valves
is tiny (AFP Photo/Handout)

Rome (AFP) - They may not be a miracle cure or a vaccine, but respirator valves from 3-D printers have helped coronavirus patients breathe a little easer in the Italian epicentre of COVID-19.

Italy has thrown everything at a pandemic that has killed more than 6,000 people in just a month, more than anywhere else.

Hospitals in the northern Italian heart of the outbreak have had to make life-and-death decisions about which patients to try and save, and which to send home.

There are not enough beds, doctors, equipment -- and the severe cases keep flooding in.

Italy's death rate slowed slightly between Saturday and Monday, giving a glimmer of hope that the end is in sight.

Still, the Mediterranean country registered more than 2,000 fatalities and 16,000 confirmed infections in the three-day span.

Currently, more than 3,200 intensive care patients are receiving treatment for COVID-19.

Into this unfolding disaster stepped Alessandro Romaioli, a young engineer from an Italian company called Isinnova, which specialises in 3-D printing.

The company's usual products include earthquake sensors and bicycle parts.

But that changed when a local newspaper in Brescia, where the death and infection rates are among the highest in the world, contacted Romaioli and his startup, trying to find ways to help the city's overwhelmed hospital.

"They were asking if it was possible to 3-D-print Venturi valves" -- a critical part of a respirator machine -- Romaioli told AFP in a Skype interview from Brescia.

Romaioli had no idea.

The Isinnova team went to the hospital for a closer look at the part. They then drafted a blueprint for use by the 3-D printer.

No one was sure it would work because the margin of error for such valves is tiny.

"We printed four prototypes and brought them back to the hospital," Romaioli said. "And they told us they worked."

'Fantastic!'

The Brescia hospital staff were ecstatic.

"They tested them on patients and the results were excellent. They told us: 'Fantastic! Now we need 100 more of these'."

Mauro Borelli, the hospital director, was effusive in his praise for the printers.

"Our respirator valves had run out and we no longer knew how to give oxygen to our patients," Romaioli told the Il Fatto Quotidiano daily.

"The 3-D printing saved us."

Isinnova has also adapted diving masks so that they can be connected to respirators, and numerous other companies are trying to give a similar helping hand.

Calzedonia, an Italian fashion brand that usually makes lingerie and hosiery, said its plants began daily production of 10,000 face masks on Monday.

It promises to ramp up production to help meet seemingly endless demand.

Other companies retooling their equipment to help battle the stealth killer include Macron, an Italian sports apparel company, which is using its factories in China to produce masks, gloves and doctors' gowns.

The Italian-American automaker Fiat-Chrysler, which has suspended production across Europe, has pledged to make one million masks by May.

Thai hospitals deploy 'ninja robots' to aid virus battle

Yahoo – AFP, Pitcha DANGPRASITH and Lillian SUWANRUMPHA, March 19, 2020

The 'ninjas' have helped staff at four hospitals in and around Bangkok to reduce
their risk of infection by allowing doctors and nurses to speak to patients over a
video link (AFP Photo/Lillian SUWANRUMPHA)

Bangkok (AFP) - Thai hospitals are deploying "ninja robots" to measure fevers and protect the health of overburdened medical workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus outbreak.

First built to monitor recovering stroke patients, the machines have been quickly repurposed to help fight the disease, which has so far killed nearly 9,000 people around the world.

They have helped staff at four hospitals in and around Bangkok to reduce their risk of infection by allowing doctors and nurses to speak to patients over a video link.

"They can stand outside the room and communicate with patients inside through the robot," said Viboon Sangveraphunsiri of Chulalongkorn University.

Viboon's engineering team is racing to build more "ninjas" for another 10 

hospitals around the country (AFP Photo/Lillian SUWANRUMPHA)

Later models will be designed to bring food and medicine to patients, and could also eventually be used to disinfect hospital wards, Viboon told AFP.

His engineering team is racing to build more "ninjas" -- known as such because of their matte black exterior -- for another 10 hospitals around the country.

Thailand has more than 200 confirmed COVID-19 infections, including at least one death. More than 40 have recovered and been discharged from hospital.

Authorities recently ordered the closure of bars, massage parlours and entertainment venues to help prevent new cases.

Thai officials have so far stopped short of imposing the full

lockdowns seen in other countries (AFP Photo/Lillian 

SUWANRUMPHA)

New rules also require visitors entering the country to produce a health certificate.

Officials have so far stopped short of imposing the full lockdowns seen in other countries in a bid to contain damage to Thailand's crucial tourism sector.

But the government's reassurances that the pandemic is under control have not stopped bouts of panic buying in grocery stores.

Doctors are also urging Thais to stay home to curb the spread of the virus.

Amazon launches dedicated Dutch service with ‘thousands’ of retailers

DutchNews, March 10, 2020 

Photo: Depositphotos.com

E-commerce giant Amazon has started its sixth European platform in the Netherlands on Tuesday with ‘thousands’ of Dutch retailers opting for the sales channel. 

‘With Amazon.nl we are providing the service our Dutch customers had been asking for: the possibility to buy goods in a Dutch-language Amazon store with access to local and international products,’ Amazon EU expansion president Alex Ootes said in a statement.

Amazon has been selling e-books in the Netherlands since 2014 and Dutch shoppers have been offered 24-hour delivery by Amazon.de on some three million items since 2016. According to online retail magazine Twinkle, Amazon is already in sixth place in the Dutch market, with sales of €350m in 2018. 

Amazon.nl said it has ‘thousands’ of Dutch retailers on its books but gave no precise figure. Its main Dutch competitor, Bol.com, has some 27,000, broadcaster NOS reports, and has recently included clothing in its product range and reduced fees for Dutch providers to weather the competitive storm. 

Amazon is the world’s largest web shop and has a turnover of almost €250bn worldwide. 

Experts are divided about the likely impact of Amazon on the Dutch retail sector. 

Some say Dutch consumers will only switch to Amazon if prices are 10% lower than those offered by the likes of Bol.com, which is part of the Ahold empire. Others warn that the effect on the high street will be considerable. 

Wijnand Jongen, director of lobby group Thuiswinkel.org, said he expected the arrival of Amazon to speed up the switch to online shopping. ‘But Dutch retailers who are already active online are well positioned to take on Amazon,’ he said. ‘They have already won the trust of the Dutch consumer.’

South Korea reports lowest new virus infections in days

Yahoo – AFP, March 8, 2020

Few worshippers attended Sunday services at the Yeouido Full Gospel Church in
Seoul, choosing instead to follow online from home (AFP Photo/Ed JONES)

Seoul (AFP) - Hundreds of churches across South Korea closed their doors Sunday and held online services as the country reported its lowest number of new coronavirus cases in more than a week.

South Korea -- which has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases outside China with 7,313 -- added 272 new cases Sunday, far below daily increases of around 500 recently.

Two more people died, bringing the death toll to 50, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Despite the smaller rise in COVID-19 cases, we are not at a point where we can say the situation has improved," said health minister Park Neung-hoo.

Medics wearing protective gear carry a patient infected with the COVID-19 virus 

to hospital in Seoul (AFP Photo)

"Small cluster infections can emerge at any time in closed spaces like group facilities or religious events," KCDC director Jung Eun-kyeong told reporters.

Yoido Full Gospel Church -- the largest Protestant Church in South Korea with around 560,000 registered members -- was among hundreds of churches that held online services on Sunday.

"Although it is the rule to come to church for service, this is an emergency situation," said elder Kim Doo-young.

"Even though they are attending the service from home, we have asked members to dress and worship in the same manner as they would at Church," Kim told AFP.

A church service is live-streamed by phone in Seoul (AFP Photo/Ed JONES)

Most of the country's infections are linked to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a religious sect often condemned as a cult.

One of its members attended at least four services before being diagnosed.

Scores of events -- from K-pop concerts to sports matches -- have been cancelled or postponed over the contagion, with school and kindergarten breaks extended by three weeks nationwide.

Amazon vows to act on price-gouging on coronavirus goods

Yahoo – AFP, March 5, 2020

About half of Amazon sales come from third-party vendors as part of the
company's online "marketplace."

Amazon pledged Thursday to take steps to fight price gouging after a US senator complained of "unjustifiably high prices" on hand sanitizers and surgical masks to protect against coronavirus infections.

The US retail giant responded to a letter from Senator Ed Markey, who wrote that Amazon appeared to be profiting from panic buying related to the epidemic.

"We agree with Senator Markey -- there is no place for price gouging on Amazon and that's why our teams are monitoring our store 24/7 and have already removed tens of thousands of offers for attempted price gouging," an Amazon spokesperson said in an email.

"We are disappointed that bad actors are attempting to take advantage of this global health crisis and, in addition to removing these offers, we are terminating accounts."

About half of Amazon sales come from third-party vendors as part of the company's online "marketplace."

Markey questioned Amazon's vigilance after a series of media reports highlighted markups on some items of as much as 2,000 percent, with one report indicating the company's enforcement of its fair-pricing policy as "haphazard."

"No one should be allowed to reap a windfall from fear and human suffering," Markey said Wednesday. "I'm calling on Amazon to stop and prevent coronavirus-inspired price gouging."

Dutch tennis association fined €525,000 for selling members’ information

DutchNews, March 3, 2020 

Photo: Depositphotos.com

The Dutch tennis association KNLTB has been fined €525,000 by the Dutch privacy watchdog Autoriteit Persoonsgevens for infringing on the privacy of its members. 

The complaint dates back to 2018 when dozens of the organisation’s members complained about being emailed and phoned by companies with links to the KNLTB even though they had never agreed that their information should be sold. 

Under EU privacy legislation (GDPR), everyone should have been asked to agree. Nevertheless one sponsor was given the names and addresses of 50,000 members, another at least 300,000, the AP said in its ruling. 

The KNLTB, which says it plans to appeal against the fine, said it is extremely careful about what it does with members’ private information. 

In addition, the organisation says the size of the fine will have a major impact on its finances.