Covid 19

Slack's billing growth, a key indicator of future revenue, slowed in the second quarter and the workplace messaging app owner said it took a $11 million hit in the first half due to the Covid-19 related concessions. The company said it offered credits, payment in installments and billing duration of less than a year to help users tide over the economic downturn triggered by the health crisis, sending its shares down 18% after the bell. Slack had in the previous quarter signaled weak demand from worst-affected industries like retail and travel, prompting it to withdraw its full-year billings target. "In Q2, growth in many of our customers contracted or flattened versus normal seasonal trends. In August, growth began to trend at more typical seasonal levels," Chief Financial Officer Allen Shim said in a call with analysts. Slack's quarterly billings rose 25%, but it fell short of the 38% growth it posted in the first quarter. Billings are an important metric for growth for a … [Read more...] about Slack’s quarterly billing growth slows due to Covid-19 concessions

To fight against Covid-19, Japanese scientists have developed a rapid, reliable and low-cost antibody test, that uses portable lab-on-a-chip technology to accurately measure the concentration of antibodies present in diluted blood plasma. Previous studies have found that Covid-19 antibodies, or proteins produced by the immune system to neutralise the virus, are present in the later stages of infection and can linger in the blood after the infection has cleared, allowing previously infected individuals to be identified, the study published in the journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics said. Antibody tests are, thus, an important means of determining the full spread of the coronavirus - information that is crucial to guide public health policies, it said. "Many existing platforms for antibody tests are accurate and reliable, but they are costly and need to be carried out in a lab by trained operators. This means that it can take hours, or even days, to obtain results," said study … [Read more...] about Low-cost chip to detect COVID-19 antibodies developed: Report

The best thing most of us can do to fight COVID-19 is to stay at home, but if you have a computer, and are in the mood for puzzles, you could play Foldit, a free game—in existence since 2008—that helps scientists design drugs to combat diseases. Dr David Baker, a professor of biochemistry—along with his team at the University of Washington, Seattle—are searching for proteins that could stop the novel coronavirus from infecting human cells. Like other coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 infects cells via its “spike protein” that latches onto certain human cells, letting it pass through the external membrane to multiply inside. Dr Baker’s team is seeking a protein that can grab the coronavirus’ spike protein and block its entry into cells. Such proteins could be developed into antiviral drugs to lessen the severity of patients’ symptoms. But finding these specific proteins is a daunting task, he says. His team uses custom computer … [Read more...] about How you can help researchers fight COVID-19 by playing a game

Previous DHL Safety Rodeos have brought together hundreds of drivers and spectators, as its couriers compete for the title of 'safest driver'; clearly not an option in a socially-distanced world. But, rather than cancel the event, DHL reached out to fleet management company Samsara, to find a solution. … [Read more...] about DHL Safety Rodeo saved from Covid-19 by Samsara fleet management software

The severity of COVID-19 in people with obesity helps explain the pandemic’s disproportionate toll in some groups. In American Indians and Alaska Natives, for example, poverty, lack of access to healthy food, lack of health insurance, and poor exercise opportunities combine to render “rates of obesity … remarkably high,” says Spero Manson, a Pembina Chippewa who is a medical anthropologist at the University of Colorado’s School of Public Health. And obesity “is connected to all these other [illnesses], such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, rendering us susceptible” to severe COVID-19, Manson says. … [Read more...] about Why COVID-19 is more deadly in people with obesity—even if they’re young