Category: Worldwide

The COVID-19 virus is a serious threat to the world’s health. But there are also many issues facing those that remain healthy during the crisis, mainly the psychological effects of social distancing.

Humans are social beings. That’s why we punish people through imprisonment and the reason that socially-isolated people have a higher mortality rate.

So if you’re feeling depressed or distressed during lockdown it’s important to know that it’s normal and there are ways to improve your sense of well-being.

“Isolation, physical distancing, the closure of schools and workplaces are challenges that affect us, and it is natural to feel stress, anxiety, fear and loneliness at this time,” Hans Kulge, the director of the European branch of the World Health Organization said.

“It is essential to address the public mental health of people during the following weeks,” Kluge added.

The stress of isolation can be so debilitating it can be difficult to cope.

Bloomberg journalist Peter Martin has been socially isolated in China without a housemate for two months and his family is overseas. So, as someone who has more than a few weeks of experience being on lockdown, he took to Twitter to share some helpful tips to stay sane.

Rebecca Dolgin of Psycom says there are a few groups that are more likely to have a hard time social distancing, young adults (16 to 24), women, people with a history of psychological illness, healthcare workers, and those who have one child.

Dolgin also says that fear, anxiety, depression, boredom, anger, frustration, and irritability are all common reactions to social isolation. “The further you are from engaging with others and feeling a connection, the more of an impact it will have,” Dr. Adam Kaplin, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, writes.

Dolgin says that we can maintain our psychological well-being by acknowledging what’s happening and that it is stressful. She also says it’s important to stay in contact with loved ones, even if it’s just through social media and real-time video chat programs such as Facetime.

Like Martin, Dolgin also agrees that we should all manage our news consumption.

“Being informed doesn’t require you to act like you’re a newsroom producer,” Dolgin writes. “It’s okay to set a few times a day where you’ll check in for updates.”

Dyson revolutionized the vacuum, air purifier, and hand dryer worlds, and now it’s revolutionizing the global pandemic world we’re currently living in.

The need for more ventilators to treat the respiratory illness COVID-19 is increasing quickly as the coronavirus pandemic spreads across the globe. We’ve seen stories of doctors in Italian hospitals who have to choose who gets a ventilator and who is left to die. We’re beginning to see hospitals in New York get overburdened, and we’re just at the beginning of the outbreak here.

The U.K. government approached Dyson to ask if they could help with medical equipment 10 days ago, and the innovative company has already come up with a new design for a ventilator specific to the current needs. Called “The CoVent,” the ventilator doesn’t take long to make, it attaches to a hospital bed, and it can be battery-operated. That’s especially important for use in field hospitals, such as the one the Army is building in Century Link field in Seattle.

Dyson plans to make the 10,000 ordered from the U.K., and also donate 5,000 additional ventilators—1,000 to the U.K. and the rest to other countries who need them.

James Dyson, the company’s founder, sent this letter to his employees, describing how the design came about and what the plans for it are:

“Hospitals are the frontline in the war against Covid-19, where heroic doctors, nurses, and care workers are battling to save lives and help people recover from this terrible virus. As with any battle, there are many challenges to overcome, not least the availability of essential equipment which in this case means ventilators. A ventilator supports a patient who is no longer able to maintain their own airways but sadly there is currently a significant shortage, both in the UK and other countries around the world.

Since I received a call from Boris Johnson ten days ago, we have refocused resources at Dyson, and worked with TTP, The Technology Partnership, to design and build an entirely new ventilator, The CoVent. This new device can be manufactured quickly, efficiently and at volume. It is designed to address the specific clinical needs of Covid-19 patients, and it is suited to a variety of clinical settings. The core challenge was how to design and deliver a new, sophisticated medical product in volume and in an extremely short space of time. The race is now on to get it into production.

The Dyson Digital motor sits at the heart of the new device and the motor’s design is optimised to have a very high level of intrinsic safety, making it particularly well-suited for industrial, high volume production. The device is designed to achieve a high quality air supply to ensure its safety and effectiveness, drawing on our air purifier expertise which delivers high-quality filtration in high-volume products.

Ventilators are a regulated product so Dyson and TTP will be working with the MHRA and the Government to ensure that the product and the manufacturing process is approved. We have received an initial order of 10,000 units from the UK Government which we will supply on an open-book basis. We are also looking at ways of making it available internationally.

I am proud of what Dyson engineers and our partners at TTP have achieved. I am eager to see this new device in production and in hospitals as soon as possible. This is clearly a time of grave international crisis, I will therefore donate 5,000 units to the international effort, 1,000 of which will go to the United Kingdom.

We will keep you updated with our progress.”

Well done, Dyson. Smart people solving big problems in real time is exactly what the world needs more of right now.

James Dyson designed a new ventilator in 10 days. He’s making 15,000 for the pandemic fight

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“Scooby Doo” and “Scream” actor Matthew Lillard shared a touching video on Twitter of his neighbors throwing a surprise parade for Coco, a girl who just underwent her final chemotherapy treatment.

“People may need some goodness right now,” the 50-year-old actor said in the tweet.

Even though the community was on lockdown for the coronavirus they still came out and supported Coco from their cars and in front of their homes.

And mission accomplished, Matthew Lillard. This is just what the Internet needed right now. Coco’s mom even chimed in, offering to help others going through similar situations with their families right now:

One of the best things about human beings is that we can still find humor in the midst of a crisis. In fact, humor becomes even more important during tough times, since joy and laughter can help connect us and keep us calm.

Since our normal entertainment venues are a bit hampered at the moment, people are fishing in the collective archives and pulling out tidbits of timeless hilarity. One clip that’s currently making the rounds is a rap video from the “Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” from 2014. Can you picture NBC’s buttoned-up news anchors Brian Williams and Lester Holt performing Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” together? (Or rapping anything at all?)

Prepare to be amazed by what you’re about to witness. Whoever was behind the editing of this brilliant piece deserves an Oscar. Seriously.

Enjoy:

Rapper’s Delight – Brian Williams

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And if you want a few more laughs, check out this interview Fallon did with Brian Williams after his rapping video went viral. Who’d have guessed Williams had such a dry wit?! (Seriously, how did I miss this the first time around? So funny.)

Brian Williams Addresses His Rapping — Part 1

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Brian Williams Addresses His Rapping — Part 2

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Want to inject a little joy into your day?

Meet Kobe, the tiniest chef you’ve ever seen, and perhaps the most adorable.

Our audience on Instagram is loving this TikTok video of Kobe making a fancy dinner of asparagus, macaroni and cheese, and grilled steak. So. Stinking. Cute.

Can you even stand it?

Kobe has his own Instagram account, where his parents share his culinary adventures, and each video is cuter than the last. The little dude can’t even talk yet, but he clearly enjoys cooking. He makes it look so fun and satisfying, it almost makes me want to cook. And I hate cooking.

The little red chef’s had just puts the adorableness over the top, doesn’t it? And there’s just something about those tiny little sausage fingers grabbing chopped up veggies and tossing them into a pan.

I do catch myself worrying that he’s going to accidentally touch a pan and burn himself, but mom and dad appear to have it under control. And kudos to them for including Kobe in their daily doings. That’s how wee ones learn best.

Mom and dad also have to have enormous patience and flexibility to make this happen. After all, a baby isn’t going to measure things out perfectly, and sometimes he’s going to put things where they don’t belong. But again, this is how kids learn, and it’s a joy to watch.

Bon appetit, Kobe! Thanks for keeping us entertained while we’re holed up at home.

This story was originally shared on #EqualEverywhere — a campaign to champion the changemakers working to make equality for girls and women a reality. You can find the original story here.

Priyanka Jaishinghani is a social entrepreneur, journalist, and advocate with a passion for making an impact. As the co-founder of a global mentorship program, GirlzFTW, she works to connect high school and college girls to inspiring mentors. Priyanka is also driving impact through her work as Managing Editor of Conscious Magazine and as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers community.

What does #EqualEverywhere mean to you?

#EqualEverywhere means closing the gender gap so women have access to equal opportunities.

Why do you advocate for equal rights for girls and women?

Almost 1 billion girls and young women lack the skills they need to succeed in a rapidly changing labor market. Women remain underrepresented in leadership and management positions both publicly and privately. According to Women, Business and the Law, globally, there are only six countries that give girls the same working rights as men. In addition, only 5% of women hold CEO positions across leading Fortune 500 companies.

These daunting statistics make me want to balance the playing field by investing in women across the globe.

What motivates you to do this work?

Growing up, I lived in the United Arab Emirates, Mexico, India, and the U.S., where I realized that girls and women needed more real life mentors. Indeed, irrespective of geography, girls face similar issues worldwide. My conviction that it is up to us to tackle adverse norms and promote positive role models motivated me to co-create GirlzFTW in 2017 (FTW stands for For The Win). It is gratifying that today, I’m building those very resources and platforms that I wish I had when I was younger.

GirlzFTW made it possible for 16 mentees hailing from India, Canada, and the U.S. to connect with inspiring and powerful mentors to help achieve their goals. Currently, girls participating in our network represent over 70 countries — from Ethiopia to Bangladesh.

What are the main challenges you experience in your work to advance gender equality?

As a global program, GirlzFTW encounters many types of gender inequality and provides a platform through which girls can share their stories. On the one hand, some countries have jumped miles ahead by introducing progressive laws and more tolerant societal norms. On the other hand, women in far too many countries must fight hard to even obtain a seat at the table.

A key lesson I have learned is that the first step toward narrowing the inequality gap is to instill confidence among women and girls by equipping them with the skills they need to speak up for themselves. Strengthening their voices requires concerted effort and deliberate networking.

What progress are you seeing as a result of your work?

Through global mentorship, GirlzFTW is channeling the magic of women every day. We do this by connecting girls in high school and college to inspirational and amazing women from diverse fields, industries, and backgrounds.

In 2019, we hosted the first ‘The Girlz, RTW (Run the World) Conference’, held as a collaboration between The World With MNR, Trinity College, and GirlzFTW. The event provided girls at the University of Toronto access to training, empowerment, career development advice, and mentorship. Over 100 girls came together to connect and network with like-minded female leaders.

What progress are you seeing in the wider gender equality movement?

Technology and a range of social media platforms are allowing us to amplify our voices beyond the usual advocacy communities that we naturally connect with. We’ve seen how a single tweet or video can spark a larger movement and create a multiplier effect.

While we have a lot of work ahead of us, women are rising and demanding a seat at the table — whether in politics, board rooms, or in the workplace. It is especially encouraging to see more diverse groups coming together in ways that allow decisions for women to be made by women.

Dr. Usama Riaz is being hailed as a hero In Pakistan for courageously putting his life on the line to treat patients with COVID-19. Even though the 26-year-old doctor didn’t have adequate protective gear, he kept fighting for his patients until he eventually lost his life to the disease.

He’s a hero in Pakistan but the world should know his name.

Riaz was part of a ten-person team screening pilgrims who recently returned to Pakistan from Iraq and Iran. He later treated these patients at isolation centers in Gilit, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Last Friday, after treating his patients, Riaz went to bed but couldn’t get up in the morning. He was rushed to a military hospital for a CT scan but the equipment didn’t work. He was put on a ventilator and died two days later.

“It is with extreme sadness that the Gilgit-Baltistan health department confirms that Usama Riaz who played a key role in the war against coronavirus has passed away,” the Gilgit Baltistan government tweeted on Monday.

“Usama proved himself the real hero by sacrificing his life to save others,” Gilgit Baltistan Information Minister Shams Mir said. Riaz will be declared a national hero.

Its believed that Riaz contracted the coronavirus because he didn’t have access to proper protective equipment. Other doctors in Pakistan have also contracted the disease for the same reason.

Even though Riaz knew he was in danger of catching the virus, it didn’t stop him from working to save the lives of his patients.

via Sheromalik / Twitter

There are over 1,000 documented cases of COVID-19 in Pakistan and the number has tripled over the past week. Healthcare specialists believe the country may become a hotbed for the virus due to its underdeveloped healthcare system.

“We’re on a very low scale, in terms of infrastructure,” Dr Shamail Daud, a healthcare management specialist, said according to Al-Jazeera. “Healthcare is very disintegrated and not very high in terms of quality or dealing with high levels of critical care for patients, which is unfortunately an outcome of COVID-19.”

“Pakistani medical officials are calling on the government to provide more protective gear to doctors so they don’t have to suffer the same fate as Riaz.

“We request the government to immediately provide us personal protection equipment,” Dr. Asfandyar Khan, president of staff at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad, told a news conference on Friday, according to Reuters.

“It is like suicide to treat patients without protection,” he added. “If infection spreads in hospitals believe me no person will be ready to touch any patient.”

On Friday, Lt. Gen. Muhammad Afzal, the chief of Pakistan’s national disaster management department, said the country has procured 12,500 pieces of personal protective equipment and it will be sent to hospitals.

However, the country also has a shortage of ventilators. In severe cases, COVID-19 patients suffer inflammation and fluid in the lungs which makes it difficult for them to breathe and to oxygenate their blood.

“We have 1,700 ventilators in public hospitals and another 600 in the private sector,” said Afzal, who said the country has put in an order for 800 more.

Riaz is an incredible example of the lengths that healthcare workers will go to help their patients in a crisis. He gave everything to help his patients, it’s a shame that his government didn’t take preventative measures to help care for him.

For even the most casual fan of Disney theme parks, the news that Disneyland, Walt Disney World and every other Disney park and resort worldwide is shuttered during the coronavirus crisis has come as a shock.

Before coronavirus, it was easy to complain that prices were too high, crowds were too big, and the weather was too hot. But now that we know Disney parks are off limits, they beckon more than ever. The good news: Coronavirus doesn’t mean you can’t visit a Disney theme park. No, you won’t be able to go there in person. But even without a Magic Band or a FastPass, you can spend an hour or two inside your favorite Disney theme park (or even discover one you’ve always longed to visit).

That’s because super-committed Disney fans have long been creating “walkthrough” videos of Disney theme parks and posting them on YouTube. These aren’t short edits, either, but longform, high-quality videos that capture one moment in time – a moment you can relive whenever you want.

For Disney fans who have been less than pleased with some recent changes (for instance, the transition of Disney California Adventure’s Tower of Terror into the Guardians of the Galaxy ride), walkthrough videos even make it possible to see earlier, now-vanished incarnations of the parks that don’t exist anymore.

Photo by Brandi Ibrao on

So, head over to YouTube, put on a pair of mouse ears, grab some sunscreen (to help complete the effect) and take a virtual visit to Disney theme parks.

Here are some great places to start when it comes to taking a tour of the wide Disney world without leaving your home:

• Disneyland – The original and, by the measure of some enthusiasts, still the best. This walkthrough from 2013 showcases the park’s smaller, more intimate surroundings, though there are segments (like New Orleans Square at 15:00) that showcase the park’s extreme attention to detail beautifully – with almost no crowds. At about 16:40, you’ll start hearing some clicking. That’s the sound Walt Disney’s dedication to Disneyland being sent in Morse code.

YouTube

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• Disney California Adventure – The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and A Bug’s Land live on in this video shot in 2016, during a Southern California winter’s morning (hence the low sun and long shadows). This super-steady walkthrough does make you wish you could crane your neck to look up, but is otherwise a great way to stroll through the park and hear the background sounds.

Disney California Adventure Tour Walkthrough All The Park, Disneyland

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• The Magic Kingdom – Once you get through the heavy holiday-season morning crowds on Main Street, Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom is gloriously uncrowded in this 34-minute walk through the most popular theme park in the U.S.

Magic Kingdom 2016 FULL 4K Walkthrough | Holiday 2016 + Mickey’s Birthday | FL Attractions 360

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• EPCOT – No Disney park is going to experience more changes than EPCOT, which is really like two theme parks (Future World and World Showcase) in one. All Disney theme parks take on a special feel at night, which is particularly true for EPCOT, and this video from 2013 captures that feel – and this enormous park – evocatively.

Epcot at Night 2013 – Future World, World Showcase, Illuminations – Walt Disney World

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• Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Captured just after the opening of Galaxy’s Edge but before the Chinese Theater had reopened with Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, this video captures the Big Band sounds of the park and its distinctive flavor.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios 2019 (Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Included), Orlando | Full Walkthrough Tour

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• Disney’s Animal Kingdom – While it skips the Oasis entry area of the park, this leisurely walkthrough of Disney’s meticulous nature park is as rich and relaxing as the park itself, taking time to explore its ever-changing foliage and the fine detail.

Long Relaxing Stroll at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 4K 60fps – No Narration – Walt Disney World

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That’s just the start. Enthusiastic Disney fans have also helped capture background music tracks from Disney theme parks around the world. For instance, want to spend the day inside but feel like you’re at EPCOT? There’s a full hour of the music that follows you throughout Future World here:

Epcot Innoventions Plaza Area Loop (Old)

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You can even turn your own bedroom (or any room) into a Disney resort hotel room – a one-hour video of “WDW Today,” the information-and-music channel that plays in every resort room is here:

WDW Today Channel – January 2019 – New Music!! | Walt Disney World Resort TV

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There are many more videos to be found – this is just a sampling. It’s never going to be a complete substitute for actually being there, but given that these videos come without crowds, humidity, high prices and heat, it’s possible that in some ways they’re even better than the real thing.

John Singh is a writer and entertainment-industry veteran who began his career as a newspaper journalist and has also worked at Disney, Lucasfilm Ltd., DreamWorks Animation and on a variety of films and TV series.

The war with COVID-19 has arrived on our soil, and those on the front lines are being sent into battle without enough armor or armaments.

We’ve spent weeks watching hard-hit nations struggle under overwhelming conditions—countries like Italy, which has more hospital beds and more doctors per capita than the U.S.—having to make heartbreaking decisions about which patients will get ventilators and which patients will die.

The picture of what happens when healthcare systems—even developed, well-managed systems—get hit with more critically ill patients than they have room or equipment for, is stark. And that reality has just begun to play out in the U.S.. Not enough personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep healthcare workers from contracting the virus they’re surrounded by in the hospital. Not enough ventilators to meet the swelling demand.

Heroic doctors and nurses on the front line are beginning to give us all a glimpse of what this battle looks like. ER doctor Colleen Smith in Elmhurst, Queens, shared with the New York Times what is happening inside her hospital, where 13 patients died of COVID-19 in one day. The hospital has had to place a refrigerated truck outside to hold the deceased bodies. She says their ER patient load has more than doubled in recent days, and those numbers are likely to increase.

“Leaders in various offices, from the president to the head of Health and Hospitals ,saying things like, ‘We’re going to be fine. Everything’s fine.’ And from our perspective, everything is not fine,” Dr. Smith told the Times. “I don’t have the support that I need, and even just the materials that I need, physically, to take care of my patients.”

Another doctor called what’s happening in the hospital “apocalyptic.” Hearing Dr. Smith detail the overwhelming anxiety and daunting reality at the very beginning of the expected surge in cases should make us all realize the seriousness of what we’re facing and understand why flattening the curve is so important.

The elderly have the most to worry about during the COVID-19 pandemic. If infected by the virus they have the highest mortality rate. So, obviously, they have a big reason to stay home and practice social distancing during the crisis.

Teenagers have a much lower risk of dying from the COVID-19, and in California, high school isn’t in session for weeks, if not months.

So Daniel Goldberg, a junior student-athlete at San Marcos High in Santa Barbara put two and two together and got his friends together to help the elderly.

Daniel created Zoomers to Boomers, a website where seniors in the Santa Barbara area can fill out a list online and have their groceries delivered the next day by one of his high school friends.

The site’s name is a generational play on words, the delivery people are all Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) and the recipients are mostly Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964).

via Zoomers to Boomers

“The first week off school I was just spending time with siblings, and I was trying to follow all the regulations of isolate at home, don’t go out and spread anything around,” Daniel told Santa Barbara’s Noozhawk.

“I felt I wasn’t helping when there was help that was needed,” he added.

Daniel was inspired to create the website because of his father, an ER doctor at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

“I saw my dad (Dr. Brian Goldberg) going into work at the ER every day and he was putting himself out on the front line,” Daniel said. “I was just sitting at home twiddling my thumbs. I was like: ‘There has to be something I can do to try help out in the community.’ I started thinking and brainstorming on how I can help.”

By Tuesday, Daniel had put together a staff of 13 high school kids to do the zooming. Many of them are fellow athletes at his school. The Zoomers must adhere to strict standards of sanitation and wear an N95 mask and gloves.

“All these people are people I’m comfortable asking, ‘Do you want to help?'” he said. “They’re friends from school and water polo, people I know.”

The great thing for seniors is that Zoomers to Boomers is free. The Zoomers don’t accept any payment for their orders and tips are donated to those in need in Santa Barbara county.

The project has been so successful it’s already spread to Denver, Colorado.

The site is simple to use. Customers click an “order here” tab to create a grocery list. Then drivers visit a local grocery store and fulfill the order. After the items have been purchased, the delivery person calls or texts the customer and tells them how much it cost and when it will be delivered.

Customers can pay through cash, check, or Venmo.

“They answer all the information we need and we send a driver out and we’ll have (the grocery) order to them by the next morning,” Daniel said. “For the non-tech savvy, they can send me an email. I can call a couple of people and make the delivery.”

Business is taking off quickly. On Tuesday, Daniel’s team fulfilled 50 orders, so he’s looking to hire more Zoomers.

“I’m going to try to grow the team a little more,” he said.