Young YOU: news of the week

THE British government has announced it has approved an antibody test which will now be used in hospitals in Britain. The test was developed by Swiss company Roche and has been provisionally approved by the European Union and the USA. Roche has since announced it is preparing its factory and laboratory to manufacture millions of these tests a month for countries that wish to purchase them.

What’s an antibody test?

Instead of testing for the virus itself, this test searches for antibodies (proteins your body makes in response to infections) that fight the virus. If these antibodies are present in your blood, it means you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus. To do the test, a doctor or nurse draws a sample of blood and sends it away for testing.

Why are people being tested?

Some say it will help countries return to normal more quickly if they know who’s had the virus and recovered. The argument is that

COMPILED BY SUZAAN HALL people who’ve had the virus but didn’t get very sick – or didn’t get sick at all – can possibly return to work because they have a smaller chance of getting seriously ill.

The results of such tests can also give governments and health services an indication of places where the virus has spread to many people. This would make it easier to prevent the virus from spreading further and to identify areas of the country where the lockdown can be lifted.

There’s also a strong chance that a person who’s had the virus and recovered might be immune to it – which means they can’t get it a second time. That’s why people refer to an “immunity passport” – a proposed document that can be issued to those who’ve tested positive for antibodies and are now thought to be immune.

The idea is that someone with an “immunity passport” can move around freely and work as they’re no longer in danger or a potential threat to others.

In areas where many people test positive for antibodies it can also indicate “herd immunity”. That’s when so many people are immune to a virus that it can’t spread any further.

What are the drawbacks of these tests?

Scientists struggled at first to develop an antibody test that is accurate. An inaccurate test is dangerous because people might think they’re safe and move around freely, while unknowingly endangering themselves.

An antibody test has to be supersensitive, meaning it must be able to pick up any antibody in the blood. It also needs to be highly specific in that it must detect the right antibodies for the specific virus. That’s why governments have to be sure a test really works before they buy it – and that’s what has happened with the Roche test.

An antibody test is an indicator of whether someone has been exposed to the virus, not whether they’re contagious.

The biggest problem with the antibody test is we don’t know for sure if someone who’s had the virus is immune – and if they’re immune, no one knows for how long.

Our immunity to certain viruses lapses after a period of time, while we stay immune to other types of viruses for life.

Scientists are still studying the new coronavirus and the results of various tests to determine how immunity against the virus works and what it may look like. It will probably be some time before something like an immunity passport can be issued.

There’s also a possibility that the carriers of antibodies might become reckless and not, for example, wash their hands or wear masks. Even if people might be immune to the virus, they become a threat to others who haven’t had the virus and can catch it from them.

What about South Africa?

Our health minister, Zweli Mkhize, says the health department is considering a number of antibody tests from companies around the world – and that some of them don’t conform to the necessary standards. The department is waiting to hear which tests are approved in other countries before deciding what SA will use.

Katy Ayers, a student from Nebraska in the USA, believes mushrooms hold the key to solving our environmental problems. To raise awareness, she built a 2m canoe from mushroom roots.

The roots are naturally waterproof and can float. Katy believes mushrooms can be used for a wide variety of things we’d normally use plastic for – and mushrooms of course are environmentally friendly and biodegradable.

For the first time in 45 years, no new episodes of the Japanese animation series Sazae-san are being broadcast. Instead, reruns are being shown. This is because the producers are unable to make new episodes because of the coronavirus pandemic – they decided to keep their staff safe.

Sazae-san holds the world record for the longest-running animation series. It’s been broadcast every Sunday since 1969. The only other time reruns were broadcast was in 1975, when there was a global economic crisis due to the high oil price.

A new Chinese rocket was successfully launched for the first time. It took about 10 years to build the Long March 5B rocket, which is designed to carry a load of 22 tons.

It’s an important step in China’s programme to build a space station by 2022 as the rocket can be used to “deliver” building material to space. The rocket is 54m long and technology enables it to be directed to the exact spot in orbit where freight needs to be delivered.

AUSTRALIAN scientists have been experimenting with altering clouds to make them brighter. They’re hoping this technique might help protect Australia’s Great Barrier Reef from the effects of global warming. Like coral reefs the world over, the Great Barrier Reef’s survival is threatened by global warming. Because of rising sea temperatures, the colour of the algae in the reef fades, causing the reef to die. This is bad news for all marine creatures living in and around the reef.

Scientists are spraying clouds to try to save

coral reefs.

The scientists blasted tiny sea salt crystals into the air from a boat. The idea is that these crystals blend with low-lying clouds. Droplets form around the salt crystals, causing the cloud to brighten in colour. The brighter the cloud, the

Heart Reef, which is part of the Great Barrier Reef. more sunlight it refracts away from the ocean’s surface, keeping the water cooler.

This experiment was just to see if the blasting method works. Further experiments will determine if the salt crystals actually brighten the clouds.

More research will follow to see if the technique holds any risks to the environment and whether it will have an effect on rainfall. The research may take another four years to complete.

This is one of a number of projects underway to try to save the Great Barrier Reef. Researchers say they favour this method as it doesn’t involve any chemicals. Rather, it’s a way of giving natural processes a helping hand. Clouds form over the ocean when the wind blows salt crystals upward and moisture droplets form around the crystals.

The number of kilograms weightlifter Hafthor Bjornsson, from Iceland, recently lifted to set a new world record for deadlifting. Hafthor, who played Gregor Clegane, aka The Mountain, in the TV series Game Of Thrones, set the record in a gym in Iceland. The previous record was 500kg. Deadlifting is when you bend forward, pick up the weight, then come back up, and hold the weight for a moment at hip height. managed to pull him over. The speed limit in the area is 110km/h. He was charged with reckless driving and taking part in an illegal street race. Canadian police say street racing is on the increase as the roads are so much quieter due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The number of lambs a merino ewe at Heilbron in the Free State has produced in her lifetime. The ewe is seven years old and, apart from single lambs, has also had quintuplets (five lambs), as well as three sets of triplets (three lambs). Her owner, Faans Pretorius, told Netwerk24 ewes on average produce eight to 10 lambs in their lifetime.

The amount in dollars someone paid in an online auction for a pair of shoes once owned by basketball legend Michael Jordan. Today that’s more than R10 million! The American icon autographed the pair of red Nike Air Jordan 1s. He played in the shoes in 1985.

What land animal is the fastest?

At what temperature does water freeze?

What’s the capital city of Angola?

Last year, this South African athlete became the first woman to complete the Comrades ultramarathon in under six hours. What’s her name?

Which South Africanborn actress won the best actress Oscar in 2004 for her role in the movie Monster?