Patients with asthma who become infected with the new coronavirus appear to have no higher risk of hospitalization or need for mechanical breathing assistance compared to COVID-19 patients without asthma – and the asthma patients are less likely to die from the disease, a new study suggests. Researchers at a Boston healthcare system studied 562 asthma patients with COVID-19 and …

Becton Dickenson and Co’s BD Veritor System for rapid detection of the novel coronavirus is better than gold standard RT-PCR lab tests at distinguishing between infectious and non-infectious virus in swab samples obtained within a week of symptom onset, according to a new study. One drawback of the RT-PCR (real-time polymerase chain reaction) is that patients can test positive even …

LAHORE: Pakistan Golf Federation’s Match Play Golf Championship 2020 commenced here at the Royal Palm Golf Course on Wednesday. This five-day event features top 25 professionals of the country who are eligible to participate based on their national ranking. Parallel to this will run a contest between the leading amateurs of the national golf circuit. Format of this championship requires …

BRISBANE: Australia demolished New Zealand by 232 runs in the third women’s One-day International to equal the world record of 21 consecutive ODI victories set by Ricky Ponting’s all-conquering men’s team in 2003. After smashing their way to 325 for five off their 50 overs at Brisbane’s Allan Border Field, the Australians then bowled New Zealand out for just 93 …

PARIS: Petra Kvitova returned to the French Open semi-finals for the first time in eight years on Wednesday after defeating Germany’s Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-3, describing Roland Garros as her lucky place. Czech seventh seed Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon champion, will now face Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin who knocked out fellow American Danielle Collins 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 for a …

KARACHI: It was a night of another stroll in the park for defending champions Northern as they cruised to an effortless seven-wicket drubbing over Balochistan in the final First XI fixture of the Multan leg late on Tuesday. The outcome at the Multan Cricket Stadium was inevitable despite the fact that Northern not only tinkered with their playing XI but …

ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet on Wednesday remained upset over the wheat situation amid vague signals from the authorities concerned and continuously increasing flour prices in the market. A meeting of the ECC presided over by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Hafeez Shaikh, however, allowed recovery of about Rs115 billion through …

LAHORE: No fresh deadline has been set for the franchises’ owners of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) to deposit the bank guarantee money for the next edition of the league in the meeting held here on Wednesday between the owners and the PCB officials. Later, the PCB issued a short press release, giving no details about the discussions held …

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Amid digital growth in the country, the Western Digital has decided to enter Pakistani market with the launch of its products in the country, but the company faces challenges from piracy and copy rights violations from imports to retail end. The Western Digital Corporation, the global data infrastructure leader, announced on Wednesday that all its new range of data …

KARACHI: Amid flourishing wheat imports, millers continue to play havoc with the prices as they jacked up the rate of flour no. 2.5 to Rs59 per kg on Wednesday. The price of fine and super fine flour (maida) has been raised to Rs71 from Rs67 per kg. In the second week of September, the rates of flour no.2.5, fine and …