Middle East Experience

An American man has caught coronavirus for the second time, doctors reported on Tuesday, raising concerns over immunity to the virus.The 25-year-old man is the first reported case of reinfection in the US, and only the fifth worldwide.According to a study published in the Lancet medical journal, the man needed hospital treatment after being infected with a stronger strain of COVID-19 than the first time he had it.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.Researchers from the Nevada state public health laboratory and the University of Nevada, Reno school of medicine said that the man had tested positive for coronavirus in April this year. He then reportedly tested negative twice, before coming down with the virus again in June after developing symptoms in late May.“It is important to note this is a singular finding and does not provide generalisability of this phenomenon,” said the lead author of the study, Nevada state public health laboratory’s Mark Pandori.Read more: White House doctor says US President Trump tested negative for coronavirusCoronavirus: Johnson & Johnson pause COVID-19 vaccine trial due to ill patientCoronavirus: China says it has tested 3 million people for COVID-19 in QingdaoDoubts over coronavirus immunityHowever, the researchers said that further research was required into coronavirus immunity.“While more research is needed, the possibility of reinfections could have significant implications for our understanding of Covid-19 immunity, especially in the absence of an effective vaccine,” added Pandori.Immunity through antibodies has been hailed by some as one potential route out of the pandemic.In line with other diseases, the hope is that patients who have been infected with coronavirus will develop long-term antibodies that resist reinfection, effectively making them immune to the disease.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: US man catches COVID-19 twice, second time more dangerous

The UAE on Tuesday recorded its highest number of daily coronavirus cases since the beginning of the outbreak with 1,315 infections, the country's official Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.The announcement is the first time the UAE has reported more than 1,300 cases in a single day, topping the previous record of 1,231 on October 4.Visit our dedicated coronavirus site here for all the latest updates.This brings the total number of cases in the country to 108,608, and the total number of recoveries to 100,007 after 1,452 recoveries were recorded on Tuesday.WAM added that 96,989 tests were conducted in 24 hours.Additionally, the death toll rose to 448 after two new deaths were reported.Coronavirus developments in the UAEHuman trials of Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine, named Sputnik V, will be held in the United Arab Emirates, the second country after Belarus to take part in the program of which results are expected before the end of November, Moscow said on Monday.The trial in the UAE has received regulatory approval from the Gulf state’s health ministry, and the process will be supported by local laboratory provider PureHealth, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, responsible for marketing the vaccine abroad, said in a statement.Separately, Dubai has also made it easier for residents to get tested.The Dubai Health Authority announced the launch of COVID-19 PCR testing stations at malls across the emirate including Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Mirdif and City Centre Deira on Monday.Read more:Coronavirus: UAE to trial Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, says KremlinCoronavirus: UAE begins imposing fines on holders of expired residence visas
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: UAE records highest number of daily cases with 1,315 infections

Saudi Arabia has ranked the third happiest country, after China and the Netherlands, in a leading 2020 global happiness survey.The poll, conducted by France-based market research company Ipsos, measured the level of happiness in 27 countries around the world.Read more: Safest coronavirus countries: Saudi Arabia, UAE rank in top 20 of COVID-19 analysisAbout nine in 10 people in China and the Netherlands described themselves as “very” or “rather” happy, while about eight in 10 people in Saudi Arabia said the same.After Saudi Arabia in third, France, Canada, Australia, Great Britain, Sweden, Germany, and Belgium made up the rest of the top 10 countries.The US ranked 11th, with seven out of 10 people describing themselves as “very” or “rather” happy.The countries with the lowest happiness levels in the index were Spain, Chile, and Peru.The Kingdom was the country with the highest proportion of adults who consider themselves “very happy,” at 30 percent, followed by India at 22 percent and the Netherlands at 20 percent.The only other country in the Middle East polled was Turkey, which ranked 17 in overall happiness level.Read more: BTS, EXO, Super Junior: Why is K-pop so popular on Twitter in Saudi Arabia?Ipsos conducted the survey from July 24 to August 7, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and polled over 1,000 adults in each country via an online survey platform.It found that six in 10 adults across 27 countries describe themselves as happy.In comparing this year’s results to 2019, Ipsos concluded that the prevalence of happiness globally “has remained nearly unchanged” despite the COVID-19 pandemic.In fact, the levels of happiness increased in some countries including China, Russia, Italy, and Malaysia.The greatest declines in happiness were recorded in the South American countries of Peru, which decreased 26 percent since 2019, and Chile, which dropped 15 percent.A majority of poll participants across all 27 countries said their source of “greatest happiness” is their health and physical well-being.Tied for second was the relationship with their spouse or partner, and the participant’s relationship with their children.Those polled in Saudi Arabia ranked religion as their greatest source of happiness, followed by health and physical well-being, personal safety and security, and their relationship with their children.Time spent on social media was the least popular “greatest source of happiness” for both Saudis and the overall group of participants.Read more:Saudis must boycott ‘everything Turkish,’ says commerce head after Erdogan remarksLebanese man says he’s harvested the Middle East’s biggest pumpkin at 341 kgSurvey highlights importance of performing arts to UAE’s post-coronavirus recovery
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia ranks third in Ipsos global happiness survey of 27 countries

The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on Turkey's music industry that is already experiencing tough times due to a ban on alcohol advertising that has prevented companies from sponsoring events and festivals with their brand names.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Turkish music sector in hot water due to pandemic, arbitrary restrictions

Months after he was acquitted on charges he sought the government’s overthrow with popular protests, Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala faces life in prison for his alleged involvement in a failed coup.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: New Turkish indictments in failed 2016 coup provoke condemnation

Security forces continue to be targeted in rural areas of Iraq’s Kirkuk region as locals complain of "unjustified" arrests and yet another alleged Islamic State "mufti" has been caught amid scant reporting on the ground.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Attacks, 'unjustified' arrests mar security in southern Kirkuk

Masoumeh Ebtekar criticised the government after saying at least….
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: At least 30,000 girls forced into marriage in Iran every year, says minister

Protests erupted in an impoverished Tunisian town on Tuesday after a man died when authorities demolished an illegal kiosk where he was sleeping..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Tunisians protest after man dies in kiosk demolition

Tunisian President Kais Saied and acting UN Special Representative of the UN secretary-general for Libya Stephanie Williams discussed Monday preparations for the first face-to-face meeting of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum to be held in Tunisia early November..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Saied discusses preparations for Libya talks with UN envoy

There has been controversy following media reports that police have been selectively enforcing the regulations.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Police leader: Without enforcement of lockdown, coronavirus won't go away