Children infected with COVID-19 can shed the virus for weeks, even if they are asymptomatic or after their symptoms are clear, said a new study published Friday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, reports Xinhua.

Researchers observed 91 children younger than 19 years old with COVID-19 from February 18 to March 31 in 20 hospitals and 2 non-hospital isolation facilities across the Republic of Korea.

About 22 percent of them were asymptomatic. Only 8.5 percent of symptomatic cases were diagnosed at the time of symptom onset, while 66.2 percent had unrecognized symptoms before diagnosis and 25.4 percent developed symptoms after diagnosis, according to the study.

SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected for a mean of 17.6 days overall and 14.1 days in asymptomatic cases, said the study.

The results show symptom screening fails to identify most COVID-19 cases in children, and SARS-CoV-2 RNA in children is detected for an unexpectedly long time, according to the study.

Read Also: Higher COVID-19 rates linked to lower humidity: Study

French lords designed an elaborate underground castle nearly 1,000 years ago for a doomsday attack that never came.

From outside, the Chateau de Breze may appear to be just another opulent castle in France’s Unesco-designated Loire Valley with its crenellated towers, glittering ballrooms and Renaissance-style exterior. But if you descend below its dry moat, there's a surprise for you.

You'll find that the bulk of this medieval royal residence lies hidden underground in a vast maze of hand-dug fortifications that stretches more than 3km, forming the largest subterranean estate in Europe and one of France’s first doomsday bunkers, reports BBC.

Dating from at least the mid-11th Century, the castle and its subsequent secret chambers were likely designed and developed by the chateau’s long line of lords as an escape against France’s many Viking raids during the Middle Ages.

Over time, these limestone-hollowed tunnels expanded to encompass underground bedrooms, storage spaces, bakeries, stables, ice houses, defensive galleries and a deep sky-lit hall, forming a true castle under a castle where royalty could wait out anything from pillaging to pandemics.

Also read : Germans flock to Frankenstein Castle for spooky Halloween

Nearly 1,000 years after the tunnels were first dug, much of this underground labyrinth remains undiscovered, with only 1km accessible to the public. Ironically, we’ll never know how effective these elaborate bunkers were, because from the time they were built, the castle was never actually raided.

 

 

We’ve been told to stay at homes and not come out without urgent needs during the Covid-19 pandemic to keep ourselves safe. But we are not totally safe from the virus at home.

For months people were told to wash hands and maintain social distance to fight against coronavirus but scientists and engineers say there is a need to think about the air we are breathing, as countries around the world start gradually opening up educational institutions and offices.

Health experts say good ventilation could be the key to avoiding coronavirus as people spend more time indoors.

Good ventilation matters in five ways, reports BBC.

If it's stuffy, walk away

When you walk into a room and the air feels stale, then something is wrong with the ventilation. Not enough fresh air is being introduced, which increases chances of getting infected by coronavirus.

Recent research shows that in confined spaces there can be "airborne transmission" of the virus - with tiny virus particles lingering in the air.

According to workplace regulations set up before the pandemic, everyone should get 10 litres of fresh air every second, and that matters more than ever now.

So if a place seems stuffy, just turn around and leave, says Dr Hywel Davies, technical director of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers.

"If you've got someone who's infected in a building, and you're bringing in plenty of outside air, you're diluting whatever infectious material they're giving off. You're reducing the risk of other people becoming infected," he said.

Read Also: Can the coronavirus spread through the air?

Look up at the air conditioning

The simplest air conditioner is a slender white box mounted on walls or ceilings, known as a split air conditioner.

This draws in air from a room, chills it and then blows it back out again. In other words, it's recirculating the air.

This is no problem for a quick visit but may be a risk over a period of hours.

A study of a restaurant in China blamed this type of air conditioner for spreading the virus.

Dr Davies points again to the importance of fresh air: "If there had been a good supply of outside air, very likely fewer people would have become infected - if any."

Ask about the 'fresh air ratio'

In a modern building where the windows are sealed, how can you get enough fresh air?

You're relying on a ventilation system in which stale air is extracted from the rooms and piped to an air handling unit, often on the roof.

There, fresh air can be pulled in from outside and mixed with the old inside air, before being sent back into the building.

Given the risk of coronavirus infection, the professional advice is to maximise the fresh supply.

"Having 100 percent outside air or close to 100 percent is a good thing," says Prof Cath Noakes of the University of Leeds and chair of the environmental panel of the government's SAGE advisers, speaking in a personal capacity.

"The more fresh air, the less you're running the risk of recirculating the virus through the building."

Check if there's virus in the filters

A modern ventilation system will have filters but these are not fool-proof.

In the US, researchers investigating the Oregon Health & Science University Hospital found that traces of coronavirus were trapped by the filters but some had somehow slipped through.

Prof Kevin van den Wymelenberg, who led the project, believes that swabbing the filters could reveal if there's someone infected working in a building.

In South Korea, a call centre on the 11th floor of an office building saw one person infect more than 90 others. If the filters had been checked more frequently, the presence of the virus might have been spotted sooner.

Watch out for draughts

Talk to any expert in the field and they will say that fresh air is the key.

But one specialist in modelling the movement of air says it's not that simple.

Nick Wirth used to design Formula 1 racing cars, and now advises supermarkets and food-processing companies on how to manage air flow to keep people safe.

He worries that if someone sitting beside an open window turns out to be infectious, they could shed virus to others downwind.

"If you open a window, where is the air going to go?" he asks. "We don't want people in a direct line of that airflow.

"More fresh air in general is better but if it's flowing horizontally and full of virus it could have unintended consequences."

Prof Cath Noakes says the benefits of plentiful fresh air diluting the virus will outweigh any risks.

An open window might lead to more people receiving the virus but in smaller, less risky amounts, in her view.

During the pandemic situation, most of the people are looking for home-based income opportunities. Online writing profession could be a dream job for anyone who wants to stay home safe and earn good money with dignity. Nowadays, diverse local and international platforms are offering writing jobs online. But many writers couldn’t grab those jobs due to several issues, like lack of proper skill, choosing unsuitable job, inappropriate way of application, lack of professional profile, inadequate portfolio, etc. Read this article to know some tips to get hired for online writing jobs in local and international platforms.

How to Get Hired for Writing Jobs Online

Know Your Interest and Skill

Not all writers have the same level of interest in different domains of writing. Some are proficient in business writing, some choose translating works, while some others prefer blogging, article writing or even ghost writing tasks.

As a writer you have to ask yourself in which domain of writing you are good at. Interestingly, the online freelancing platforms are offering jobs for various branches of writings. So, you need to focus on your specific field of interest and level of skill without getting bothered about other categories of writings.

Upgrade Your Skill

When you exactly know your field of interest, you can move forward to level-up your proficiency in writing. For strengthening your grip on language, you need to read informative and rich articles, blog posts, and books. Learning new vocabularies will open your door to versatile usage of words. When you read the articles of popular websites or blogs, you get the opportunity to learn different style of writings.

Read Work From Home, Earn and Be Your Own Boss.

Choose Online Outsourcing  Platforms

Are you looking for jobs in local freelancing market or international sphere? In local freelancing platforms, the competition is comparatively low so does the scope of earning. As a newbie you can start with local platforms like Belancer (https://belancer.com/) or Outsource My Job (http://outsourcemyjob.com/).

However, if you are confident enough to fight for a job with the overseas writers, you can go for the international freelancing market places, like Upwork, Freelancer, People per Hour, Fiverr, etc. However, each platform has some pros and cons. Choose one or two depending upon your level of skill.

For instance, Upwork (https://www.upwork.com/) is the biggest online outsourcing platform for freelancers worlwide. Here you can find a wide variety of writing jobs round the day. The payment system is fast and transparent. However, the account approval process is a bit crucial. And the competition is too high, as multiple freelance writers apply for the same job. For the novice writers, getting hired on Upwork can be a bit challenging.

On the other hand, People Per Hour (https://www.peopleperhour.com/), and Fiverr (https://www.fiverr.com/) are also popular outsourcing platforms for Bangladeshi freelancers. Though the commission rate and number of available jobs are lower than Upwork, here you may find writing job opportunities under your chosen category. In these platforms, the account opening process is not so complex. The competition level is moderate to high. Both the experienced and newbie writers can get hired if applied in a proper way with right portfolio.

Read Quarantine Income Opportunities - How to earn Money During Lockdown Period.

Create a Professional Profile

Each outsourcing market place has some specific rules and regulations for opening a new account. For example, Upwork may require you to enter full details of your educational qualification and skills. As a part of the account opening procedure, Upwork may require you to attain some tests to judge your level of skill in writing, including grammar, and vocabulary. However, the other freelancing platforms may have different requirements.

Create a Professional Portfolio

Preparing an excellent portfolio is the most significant factor of getting hired online. If you are looking for article writing jobs, then write a bunch of unique articles in diverse niches like travel, technology, education, etc. You can also follow the advertised jobs to understand  what kinds of contents are required by the clients. Then prepare your sample articles regarding those topics. Don’t forget to check out the uniqueness of your content using free or paid plagiarism check software like copyscape.com. The richer portfolio you have the greater chance to get hired.

Read How to Monetize Your Blog

Choose Appropriate Writing Jobs

Diverse online platforms are looking for writing professionals for different categories of jobs like, academic writing and research, copywriting, editing and proofreading, resume writing, web content writing, article and blog writing, creative writing, grant writing, technical writing, translation works, etc. Some jobs are targeting native writers while some are open for all. Jobs are available for both novice, and expert writers.

You don’t need to haunt all categories of jobs at the same time. Pick the one which suits both your skill and portfolio. Otherwise you are going to miss the job opportunities, which will not only waste your valuable time, but also make you feel discouraged. If you continuously fail to get jobs, it can jeopardize your writing account in the top freelancing platforms like Upwork.

Read How to earn Money from Youtube Channel

 

Apply for Job in Proper way

After choosing a job, the first thing to do is to read the whole proposal properly.  Then prepare your application accordingly. Try to answer all the questions provided with the proposal. Try to be honest and sincere while preparing your application. Beware of using the same application for multiple jobs; otherwise your account can face unfortunate scenarios like permanent cancellation.

Know the Value of Work

If you can’t evaluate your own skill, none will be. It is a common issue with local freelancers that they are willing to work at under-paid jobs. Such practices are harmful not only for a potential writer, but also for the whole writer-community. Therefore, you should not compromise with the value of your skill and hard work.

While submitting your application against any job proposal, you must ask for reasonable payment. If you are unsure about the range of payment, you can consult with your mentors or other freelancers. Diverse facebook groups (such as Freelancer Bangladesh) are helping freelancers with valuable guidelines and advice at free of cost. However, if you are a newbie writer, you can apply for the basic level writing jobs that are looking to hire novice writers.

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Read How to earn Money from Instagram

The 44th death anniversary of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam is being observed on Thursday.

Nazrul, revered as Bidrohi Kobi (a rebel poet) for his activism for political and social justice, breathed his last in Dhaka on 12th Bhadro of Bangla calendar year 1383 (August 29, 1976) at the age of 77. He was buried with full state honour beside the Dhaka University Central Mosque.

Nazrul produced a large body of poetry and music with themes that included religious devotion and spiritual rebellion against all sorts of oppression.

Different socio-cultural and political organisations are marking the day with various programmes following health guidelines due to coronavirus pandemic.

Television channels are airing special programmes on Nazrul’s works and life.

Nazrul’s powerful poems inspired people to fight against all kinds of odds and injustice and repression during the colonial rule while his songs and poems were also a great source of inspiration for the freedom fighters during the country’s Liberation War in 1971.

Kazi Nazrul Islam was born on May 24 in 1899 at Churulia village in Asansol subdivision of Burdwan district of West Bengal, India.

Also read: Nazrul’s death anniversary being observed