Day: August 7, 2021

Argentina sealed a hard-fought win against Brazil in the men’s volleyball bronze medal match at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday.

Argentina beat archrivals Brazil in five sets with 25-23, 20-25, 20-25, 25-17, 15-13 at Ariake Arena.

With the victory, they bagged their second-ever Olympic medal in men’s volleyball.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The US and Israeli defense chiefs vowed on Friday to cooperate closely on regional security after they laid blame on Iran for a recent attack on an oil tanker.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz addressed the July 29 attack on the Mercer Street during a telephone call, and “expressed concern about Iran’s proliferation and employment of one-way attack UAVs across the region and committed to continue cooperating closely on regional security,” said the Pentagon.

“They agreed to work together alongside allies and partners in condemning Iran’s aggression that undermines freedom of navigation, and they exchanged views on next steps,” spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.

The G7 earlier Friday released a statement formally blaming Iran for the attack that killed two sailors, and US Central Command (CENTCOM), which is the Pentagon’s Middle East command, followed up by saying the ship came under attack from drones twice before the third fatal attack took place.

Explosives experts were able to recover pieces of the third drone, including a vertical stabilizer and internal components, which the US military said “were nearly identical to previously collected examples from Iranian one-way attack UAVs.”

“The distance from the Iranian coast to the locations of the attacks was within the range of documented Iranian one-way attack UAVs,” said CENTCOM. “Following an on-scene analysis, some of the material was transferred to U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Manama, Bahrain and subsequently to a U.S. national laboratory for further testing and verification.”

The evidence was presented to Israel and the UK that “concurred” the drone was produced in Iran, central command added.

By Michael Hernandez in Washington

Source: Anadolu Agency

Last March, just before the global lockdown ensued, visual artist Amelie Deschamps flew home to Normandy in northern France from Mexico amid talk of a deadly virus ravaging the world. The full extent of the coronavirus was yet to be known, but at the airports, she saw people donning face masks and hand gloves to protect from the infection.

Days later, as France announced the lockdown, the 40-year-old was down with fever and fatigue caused by the virus infection, seemingly caught mid-flight. With the intensive care units at hospitals overflowing and doctors attending to only serious cases, she resorted to the usual concoction of homemade remedies of vitamin pills and ginger tea to treat the heavy flu.

But the problems kept getting worse, landing her in the emergency section of the hospital seven times between March and June 2020.

“Just the walk from the bedroom to the toilet was a challenge. The heartbeat would rise dramatically even when I was sleeping or just sitting,” she recalled in an interview with Anadolu Agency about the days of battling sudden heart palpitations, chest pain, pulmonary embolism, constant dizziness, and worst of all, the brain fog.

“I felt like I was in a semi-coma. A healthy person like me had become completely incapable of doing basic functions like taking a walk in the garden.”

Her COVID-19 tests conducted weeks later had shown negative results. The doctors could not diagnose the exact problem even after several tests and MRIs. They said the symptoms were mostly in her head, and she was going through “stress and depression,” just like millions of people across the world reeling under the effects of the pandemic and the lockdown.

Incensed with her friends, family, and doctors not believing her suffering, Deschamps began to seek support from other “sick people” like herself to find answers to what was going on with her body. The chase landed her at Hotel-Dieu in Paris, in the clinic of Professor Dominique Salmon-Ceron, who is among the earliest French infectious disease specialists to open consultations for long COVID-19 symptoms and recognize the loss of smell as one of the side-effects of the disease.

Nearly four months into her problems, Deschamp discovered that the persistent symptoms she was experiencing were medically referred to as “the long COVID.”

Statutory recognition and research

The World Health Organization estimates that between 10% and 30% of the 200 million people infected with the coronavirus have suffered from the Long COVID. In France, where nearly six million people have been infected with the coronavirus, a study by the country’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research found that 60% are affected by at least one symptom six months after infection and a quarter by three or more symptoms.

On social media, Deschamps discovered more posts from other users who described similar symptoms of chest pain, dizziness, and fatigue and an online French group called ApresJ20 or AfterD20 Association Long Covid. Established by the patients suffering from symptoms following infection with the coronavirus, the association provides patients with moral support and connects them to doctors for consultations.

It has also set up multidisciplinary care centers across the country, funding research on the subject, raising public awareness on the Long COVID, besides pushing the government to recognize it as a long-term illness.

“This is a matter of public health… administrative recognition will allow medical and financial coverage of care, as well as support sick leave,” said Matthieu Lestage, an association member who has battled the Long COVID for nine months since being tested positive in October 2020. He added that the French health authorities have not conducted a census or quantified reporting of data of the Long COVID cases.

The French National Assembly, or lower house of parliament, in February, voted unanimously to facilitate the recognition of the Long COVID as an occupational disease. In April, President Emmanuel Macron, who contracted the virus and suffered from prolonged loss of smell, once again brought the issue under a spotlight by visiting a hospital center providing consultation to patients affected by the Long COVID. In a statement in support of such patients, he said no citizen will be left “isolated and without appropriate support.”

But, besides devising a fact-sheet and response guide for identifying symptoms, the public health authorities have not taken concrete measures for statutory recognition of the disease.

In comparison, the US has recently recognized the Long COVID as a disability and offered federal support to the patients. It has also earmarked $1.15 billion for research. The UK government is funding 15 research studies at the cost of $27.295 million to “help better understand the condition, improve diagnosis and find new treatments.”

Such lack of recognition and research on the disease and data on the number of sick people in France has caused a delay in charting a course of treatment and care for adult and minor patients, who are primarily at a loss to place the symptoms as part of the Long COVID, Lestage said. “The government has not done a good job in explaining to the general public the reality of multiple complexities and fluctuating symptoms of the disease.”

From its network of patients and experts, the association has identified at least 50 symptoms, including overwhelming fatigue, brain fog, headaches, memory loss, and migraines. Worldwide, over 200 symptoms are documented by scientists and researchers through various assessments of patients over a varying time duration.

Uncertainty’ among medical fraternity

While there is a higher awareness of the consequences of COVID-19 due to the work of groups like AfterD20, the patients’ testimony, and epidemiology research, those affected by the Long COVID continue to suffer silently due to the absence of medical treatment and the indifference shown by doctors in addressing their symptoms.

“Even now, there is a lot of uncertainty among the medical community towards the Long COVID,” said Nina Stredelle, a 34-year-old insurance agent from an international firm, who got infected with mild symptoms in October. She experienced an ambiguous response from doctors, telling her that the symptoms “will go on their own” in a short time.

“Nearly five months later, the symptoms kept fluctuating severely and began to seriously impact my cognitive ability,” she said.

When her ability to focus started dimming and the brain fog became severe, and there was no available treatment, Stredelle decided to take five weeks off from work to recover at home. Doctors only began to take her symptoms seriously as her visits for migraines and neurological issues became frequent.

“People with the Long COVID may look normal and healthy, but we are struggling with long-term chronic issues. It is like an invisible illness,” she said, adding that the problem is worsened by the doctors who refuse to believe that the problems described by the patients are real.

Both Stredelle and Deschamps hope that the medical fraternity will be more attentive to the patients of the Long COVID, instead of blaming them for exaggerating their health issues.

“It is a cynical position to not believe the patient and offer them the required medical support,” Deschamps stressed, adding that she took the step of admitting herself to a rehabilitation center three times in a week to reorient and recover.

“We are not just fighting the trauma of the Long COVID, but also the battle to be heard by the medical fraternity.”

Source: Anadolu Agency

Iranian karateka Sajjad Ganjzadeh’s unbeaten run at the Tokyo Olympics was coming to an end before his Saudi opponent gave it away.

Tareg Hamedi, who was holding a healthy lead at halfway mark in the gold medal bout of 65kg karate division, was disqualified after his lethal kick knocked out Ganjzadeh.

Ganjzadeh was immediately taken out of the court in a stretcher and received medical treatment. He later returned to receive the gold medal, visibly still lying in pain.

The two contestants had earlier faced each other in a pool game, which ended in a draw.

While Hamedi had to settle for silver, Turkey’s Ugur Aktas and Japan’s Ryutaro Araga walked away with bronze medals.

The gold medalist of the 2016 and 2014 world championships, Ganjzadeh made his way to the finals after beating Turkey’s Aktas in the semifinals in a closely-fought game.

In the pool games and the elimination round, he defeated Ivan Kvesic of Croatia, Brain Irr of the US, and Daniel Gaysinaky of Canada, respectively.

Ganjzadeh got Iran its third gold at the Tokyo Olympics, after Javad Foroughi in shooting and Mohammad Reza Geraei in Greco-Roman wrestling. He was the last remaining Iranian member of the Olympic contingent still in the fray.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Of some 223 forest fires that started last week, just six remain ongoing, said Turkey’s agriculture and forestry minister on Saturday.

Most of the fires have been contained thanks to the dedicated efforts of Turkish firefighting teams, while the blazes in Koycegiz, Kavaklidere, Milas, Yatagan, and Cine in the southwestern Mugla province continue, as well as one in the town of Sutculer in Isparta, Bekir Pakdemirli told reporters.

Firefighting teams are working hard to protect a thermal power plant and touristic areas in Mugla where as many as 15 forest fires initially broke out, he added.

The fire in Milas is currently “dormant, not posing any significant threat,” he said.

“We have been combatting the fires with 16 aircraft, nine unmanned aerial vehicles, 57 helicopters, an unmanned helicopter, 850 water tenders and tankers, and 150 engineering vehicles, along with 5,250 forestry personnel,” Pakdemirli added.

On Twitter, he said the wildfires in Mugla’s Marmaris, Seydikemer and Yilanli districts have been contained, along with those in Karacasu and Bozdogan in the Aydin province, and Golhisar in the Burdur province.

Another wildfire near the central Black Sea province of Karabuk was also contained, Pakdemirli added.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum and Transport, and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoglu visited the areas affected by the blazes. Later they held a closed-door meeting with representatives of fire-hit regions to hear about their needs.

A firefighting team from Azerbaijan including 40 fire trucks and 150 personnel has also been dispatched to Hamza in the Black Sea Samsun province.

At least 107 houses were damaged in blazes in Alanya in the southern Antalya province, Mayor Adem Murat Yucel said in a statement.

Bekir Yilmaz, the district governor of Bodrum in the southwestern province of Mugla, said initial aid of some 35,000 Turkish liras (over $4,000) per household has been provided to citizens affected by fires.

At least eight people have been killed, according to official figures, since fires started in southern and southwestern Turkey on July 28.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Turkey has administered nearly 75.9 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines since it launched a mass vaccination campaign in January, according to official figures released on Saturday.

The country continues its intensive vaccination campaign to curb the spread of the coronavirus, as everyone 16 and over is eligible for vaccine shots.

According to the Health Ministry, nearly 41.7 million people have gotten their first doses, while more than 28.7 million are fully vaccinated.

Turkey is also administering third COVID-19 vaccine booster shots, and over 5.49 million such doses have been given.

To date, 67.15% of the country’s adult population has received at least one dose of the two-step vaccines.

The ministry also confirmed 25,100 new infections and 112 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, while as many as 6,758 more patients recovered.

Turkey entered a new normalization phase on July 1 amid a nationwide drop in cases and an expedited vaccination drive, lifting almost all virus-related restrictions.

Since December 2019, the pandemic has claimed over 4.28 million lives in 192 countries and regions, with some 202 million cases reported, according to the US-based Johns Hopkins University.

Source: Anadolu Agency

France sealed a 91-76 victory over Serbia to win the bronze medal in women’s basketball at the Tokyo Games on Saturday.

Gabby Williams led France to victory with 17 points, while Endene Miyem scored 16 points, Sandrine Gruda added 14, Marine Fauthoux played with 12.

Yvonne Anderson played with a game-high 24 points and Jelena Brooks scored 14 for Serbia, which previously won the EuroBasket Women 2021.

France had previously won the silver medal at the 2012 London Games.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Turkey nabbed 19 people, including 13 members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), while they were trying to slip out of Turkey, the National Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

The suspects were arrested during an attempt to cross into Greece, the ministry said on Twitter.

They were caught by troops in the northwestern Edirne province near the Turkey-Greece border, it added.

FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, in Turkey, in which 251 people were killed and 2,734 injured.

Ankara accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Kazakhstan on Saturday sent two helicopters to Turkey in support of efforts to extinguish ongoing forest fires.

According to a statement by Kazakhstan Emergency Situations Ministry, the helicopters and a special team of 16 people took off from Nur Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan, to Turkey’s southwestern Mugla province upon the instruction of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

The statement also said that Nur Sultan is ready to provide humanitarian assistance to restore forests damaged by fire.

Of some 223 forest fires that started last week, just six remain ongoing, Turkey’s Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said on Saturday.

At least eight people have been killed, according to official figures, since fires started in southern Turkey on July 28.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan in Ankara

Source: Anadolu Agency