Category: Culture

France bans use of hydroxychloroquine, drug touted by Trump, to treat coronavirus

Hydroxychloroquine had been approved for use in seriously ill patients, but the latest large-scale research shows it could do more harm than good.

Paris — France has banned the use of the controversial anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to treat people with COVID-19, the diseased caused by the new coronavirus. The move follows the publication of initial findings from a large-scale study that found the drug offered no benefit to patients, and could in fact be harmful.

The Lancet medical journal reported on May 22 that the observational study on nearly 100,000 patients from multiple countries found a higher mortality rate and an increased frequency of irregular heartbeats in patients who were given hydroxychloroquine.

France’s health minister responded to the findings the next day by asking the French High Council for Public Health (HCSP) to review the situation, and it recommended halting the use of the drug

Source: France bans use of hydroxychloroquine, drug touted by Trump, to treat coronavirus – CBS News

Trained French dogs successfully sniff out coronavirus

Tests conducted with trained German Shepherds at a veterinary school in Maisons-Alfort (Val-de-Marne) show a 95% success rate in sniffing out the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.

Weeks of trails have produced positive results at veterinary school and research centre l’École Nationale Vétérinaire in Maisons-Alfort, where researchers say their German Shepherds have been trained to detect coronavirus.

During the trial, the dogs had to identify the presence of the virus by smelling sweat samples taken from subjects who were infected with Covid-19.

The school partnered with hospital Beaujon de Clichy to collect sweat samples from both infected and non-infected subjects. The sweat samples were then used to soak pieces of cotton wool which were placed inside metal cones.

The dogs then used their sense of smell to identify whether the sweat sample inside the cone was infected or not.

In 95% of cases, the dogs were correct.

Source: Trained French dogs successfully sniff out coronavirus

Watch the Bilingual Revolution Webinars Online | French Culture

The Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the US presents a series of webinars for parents and educators who are interested in creating bilingual dual-language programs in public schools. Hosted by author and Education Attaché, Fabrice Jaumont, these webinars will uncover  how parents can make a difference in their community by starting dual-language programs and providing opportunities for more children to become multilingual.

Episode 1: Community Outreach

In order to create a dual-language program in your local school you’ll need to connect with dozens, if not hundreds, of individuals in your community and form a base of interested families. You can start by forming a core group of parents you know and trust. These are parents Continue reading “Watch the Bilingual Revolution Webinars Online | French Culture” →