Plasma treatment 'experimental,' WHO

Officials from the World Health Organization said on Monday that the use of convalescent plasma was still an “experimental” treatment for the coronavirus. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- In the news today WHO calls coronavirus plasma treatment 'experimental' [A doctor holds a bag of blood plasma donated by a COVID-19 survivor at at blood bank in La Paz, Bolivia.]( Credit: Juan Karita/AP Officials from the World Health Organization said on Monday that the use of convalescent plasma was still an [“experimental” treatment](for the coronavirus. Preliminary results showing the efficacy of the therapy are still “inconclusive,” said WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan, after President Donald Trump [approved an emergency authorization]( for use of blood plasma for COVID-19 patients. Swaminathan referred to “low-quality” evidence from studies and said that the treatment is difficult to standardize, with recovered patients producing different levels of antibodies. A senior adviser at WHO added that plasma therapy can have numerous side effects. Meanwhile, the president of Spain’s Catalonia region, Quim Torra, announced a ban on social gatherings of more than 10 people and the launch of widespread testing in the northeast of the country. The policies aim to limit transmission ahead of schools reopening in mid-September. Catalonian officials have said a [school will be shut down]( if two positive cases are found in different classes. In New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern [extended the coronavirus lockdown]( in Auckland through the end of the week and enacted a mask mandate for public transportation. But attention from New Zealanders may instead be on the sentencing hearings that [began on Monday in Christchurch]( for the white supremacist who killed 51 Muslim worshippers last year. What The World is following In the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean, [two major storms]( are making similar trajectories toward the coast of Louisiana. Tropical Storm Marco on Monday was bringing a surge of high seas to the vulnerable state, as Tropical Storm Laura battered Haiti and the Dominican Republic, before moving around the southern tip of Cuba. With winds of 65 mph, Laura could [strengthen into a Category 3 hurricane]( while heading for New Orleans. Authorities in Belarus continued a [crackdown on a massive protest movement]( against President Alexander Lukashenko. The country’s opposition council said that Belarusian police had detained two key figures in Minsk, in addition to the leader of striking workers at an industrial plant. The president on Sunday had toted an assault rifle near his palace in the capital to muster a show of force. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Netflix series about the dating lives of autistic people gets mixed reviews]( [Participants in "Love On The Spectrum" make a toast.]( Credit: Matt Rogers/The World Dating shows aren’t exactly rare when you’re scrolling through Netflix. The streaming service has debuted a slew of such shows this summer, including “Love is Blind,” “Too Hot to Handle” and “Indian Matchmaking.” Some viewers say [the latest iteration produced in Australia](, "Love on the Spectrum," accurately portrays the dating lives of autistic people. Others warn it degrades them and is inherently voyeuristic. [South Koreans are blaming a controversial church for new COVID-19 outbreak]( [The Sarang Jaeil Church, which has become a new cluster of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections, is seen in Seoul, South Korea, Aug. 21, 2020.]( Credit: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters South Korea is experiencing its second-largest COVID-19 outbreak since the pandemic started. Health authorities say the Sarang Jaeil Presbyterian church and its outspoken pastor are at the epicenter. And, authorities are now warning [the disease has already spread far beyond this cluster](. Because many of its congregants have gone into hiding before being tested, there’s heightened risk of nationwide infection. --------------------------------------------------------------- The World's smart speaker show The Number in the News: 250 History is full of examples of architecture changing in response to pandemics. But in Florence, Italy, a pandemic is forcing Italians to use old architecture in new ways; northern Italy has recently seen the [reemergence of 250 “wine windows](,” which were initially used in medieval times to serve wine from opulent city homes without having to come into contact with customers. The Number in the News is The World’s daily smart speaker show, where you’ll learn one number you won’t forget and why it's in the news today. [Click here to add The Number in the News](to your Amazon or Google flash briefing and hear a new episode seven days a week. --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright spot The University of Fine Arts in Hamburg, Germany, [has put out a call]( for applications for three "idleness grants." Successful candidates will have to describe why they are the best to work on their active inactivity. Or as the creator of the program described it, “Doing nothing isn’t very easy." Happy Monday! [A screen grab of a tweet from Elizabeth Kuruvilla.]( [Credit: Screen grab from Twitter]( Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this newsletter. --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it on The World - [A Zoom wedding]( - [Note to Germans: Walk the dog]( - [Europe’s marginalized Roma people face increased persecution]( - [Trump administration gets pushback for attempted ‘snapback’ sanctions on Iran]( - [Belarusian American held in Belarus prison]( - [Korean pop band BTS releases new song, smashes premiere records]( - ['The Economist Asks' Bill Gates]( - [South Koreans are blaming a controversial church for new COVID-19 outbreak]( - [Coronavirus around the world]( - [Navalny, still in coma, will be transported to Germany]( Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. 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