1 . Scientists in the Netherlands have trained bees to identify COVID-19 through their sense of smell, according to a press release from Wageningen University. The research was conducted on more than 150 bees in Wageningen University’s research lab.

The scientists trained the bees by giving them a treat — a sugar-water solution — every time they were exposed (暴露于) to the smell of samples (样本) infected with COVID-19. Each time the bees were exposed to a non-infected sample, they wouldn’t get a reward. Eventually, the bees could identify an infected sample within a few seconds — and would then stick out their tongues like clockwork to collect the sugar water.

Bees aren’t the first animals to detect COVID-19 by smell. Researchers have also trained dogs to tell the difference between positive and negative COVID-19 samples from human saliva (唾液) or sweat with fairly high levels of accuracy. A German study found that dogs could identify positive COVID-19 samples 94% of the time. That’s because the coronavirus (冠状病毒) makes an infected person’s body smell slightly different from those of a non-infected person. But researchers still aren’t sure whether animals are the best bet for smelling out COVID-19 cases outside the lab.

“No one is saying they can replace a PCR machine, but they could be very promising,” Holger Volk, a neurologist, told Nature. PCR machines are what lab technicians use to process standard COVID-19 tests. At the very least, certain animals could be useful for identifying COVID-19 in places or countries in which high-tech lab equipment is not enough or inaccessible.

Wageningen scientists are working on a machine that can train bees at once. Then bees can use their skills to test for coronavirus aerosols (气溶胶) in the surrounding environment.

3 . During the first COVID-19 outbreak, Dr. Kirby White struggled to get enough disposable gowns (一次性罩衣), so she and her colleague Dr. Nicole Lowe decided to act. In March2020, they developed a gown that could be laundered and reused, allowing them to keep seeing patients at their Bendigo’s clinic.

“The second COVID-19 wave made it impossible for anyone to purchase disposable gowns, says Kirby, who explains one reusable gown lasts as long as 130 single-use gowns. “It was important to have a reusable gown. We didn’t know how long the pandemic would last so we needed a sustainable solution.”

Two weeks later, Gowns for Doctors was created. Taking to social media, Kirby, 36, shared the initiative (新方案) in a local Facebook group. Overnight, hundreds of volunteers put up their hands to sew (缝), donate fabric and distribute the gowns. She was blown away by the unbelievable response. “We had400 emails overnight! “Kirby says. “It’s the spirit that allowed us to send out so many gowns to people in need. Months later, Gowns for Doctors still has a lot of gowns if medical staff are in need of them. We are continuing to help those who need them.”

The success of the initiative has now gone global, after a company contacted Kirby to create a Barbie doll (芭比娃娃) in her image, celebrating all the healthcare heroes globally. “Seeing my one-of-a-kind Barbie doll for the first time was a heart-skip moment. There were tears of joy. She looks just like me! ”

After hand-packing every order, Dr. White loves seeing happy healthcare workers wearing their donated gowns. “We’ve been sent photos of medical staff wearing their gowns with big smiles,” she says. “Everyone has been so appreciative; we are inundated with thank-you cards. It’s so nice to see them.”

China     1     (take) highly organized measures to contain the COVID-19 risks. Chinese people are always active in responding to the call of the government and university students are no exception.

A total of 416,300 university students stayed on campus during the Spring Festival holiday as the country encouraged people to stay put during the year’s most important     2     (tradition) Chinese holiday. None of the students and teachers staying put was reported     3     (catch) the disease and they had an enjoyable and safe holiday.

During the holiday, universities took measures     4     (active). They disinfected (消毒) important places frequently and checked all people and items entering the universities. Teachers and students were also asked to report their health conditions every day.

Meanwhile, universities managed to meet the     5     (student) study and leisure needs. University canteens, libraries, study rooms and sports facilities stayed open during the holiday. In Renmin University of China, the needs of the students     6     (meet) in a timely fashion. According to its vice-president, Hu Baijing, 1,208 students spent the holiday at the university, half of     7     were graduating students. The school sent them gift packages and free mobile phone data, as well     8     great meals. “    9     deeply touched us is that many students chose to spend the nights of Lunar New Year’s Eve and the next day, usually the time for family gatherings and relaxing,     10     (study) in classrooms,” said Hu.