Advancements in Healthcare: Chinese Doctors in Cape Town, Rehabilitation Robots, and a Groundbreaking COVID-19 Study

In the port of Cape Town, South Africa, on a Chinese ship called the “Ark of Peace,” local military medical personnel are examining residents of the city and its surrounding areas. The financial crisis in one of Africa’s largest and most developed economies has left public services underfunded, and many citizens cannot afford private healthcare. Currently, about 14% of the population has private healthcare, while the remaining 86% rely on overburdened clinics and hospitals. The Chinese are offering their medical services free of charge, with over 2,000 people using them in a week.

In a groundbreaking study on COVID-19, scientists from the prestigious Gladstone Institutes have made a significant discovery. They found that fibrin, responsible for blood clotting, is a key factor in the extremely strong clotting and inflammation characteristic of COVID-19. At the same time, it suppresses the body’s ability to eliminate the virus. The team has also identified a new antibody therapy that combats all of these harmful effects. This research not only changes our understanding of COVID-19 but also opens up new possibilities for treatment. Blood clotting in COVID-19 is therefore not just a consequence of the virus-related inflammation, but a major effect of the disease itself. Among other things, it causes toxic inflammation, impaired viral clearance, and neurological symptoms.

Robots that read a patient’s brainwaves using a brain-computer interface device are helping to rehabilitate stroke survivors. They provide support and motivation to return to their pre-illness and post-brain injury levels. The purpose of using robotic assistants is so that patients can perform rehabilitation procedures without the presence of a physiotherapist and with feedback from the robots.