Coronavirus traces found in March 2019 sewage sample, Spanish study shows: Spanish virologists have found traces of the novel coronavirus in a sample of Barcelona waste water collected in March 2019, nine months before the COVID-19 disease was identified in China, the University of Barcelona said

How to Clean a Cloth Protective Mask 2020: First things first: All of the doctors we spoke to agreed that you should wash your mask daily.

A fraction of regions account for a majority of deaths: Data from 20 European countries shows that over 200,000 more people than usual have died since March.

Coronavirus: The secret spreaders of Covid-19 fuelling the pandemic in the Middle East: Fears are growing that an underground network of mercenaries is transporting the deadly coronavirus into some of the region’s most war-wrecked countries.

Loved or loathed? How Germany′s coronavirus tracking app is faring: For a number of weeks now, polls have shown that the majority of Germans view their government's crisis management in the COVID-19 pandemic as both right and effective. But, when it comes to Germany's new warning app, surveys suggest people are far more skeptical. It is therefore all the more surprising that just one week after the app was launched, 15% of people living in Germany have downloaded it. Although the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) says the figure is slightly lower, at around 13%.

Japan's Fujitsu brings hand washing AI to COVID-19 fight: Three months after the World Health Organization recommended singing “Happy Birthday” twice during hand washing to fight the coronavirus, Japan’s Fujitsu Ltd has developed an artificial intelligence monitor it says will ensure healthcare, hotel and food industry workers scrub properly.

The AI, which can recognize complex hand movements and can even detect when people aren’t using soap, was under development before the coronavirus outbreak for Japanese companies implementing stricter hygiene regulations, according to Fujitsu. It is based on crime surveillance technology that can detect suspicious body movements.

Swedish exceptionalism has been ended by coronavirus: “Haverist” is a Swedish word meaning “shipwrecked person”. During the course of Sweden’s shambolic response to Covid-19, dissent – whether from epidemiologists or journalists – has often been met with this insult, which implies the critics are fighting a losing battle. It’s telling of the way Sweden has handled its failure.