ever faster testing for corona virus could be key to stopping it spread don't forget you can always get the latest news and information around the clock on our website that's dot com or follow us on twitter and instagram at. m k richardson and then for me and the whole team thanks so much for watching. the fight against the corona virus pandemic. has the rate of infection been developing what does the latest research say. information and context the coronavirus update 19 special. on d w. children. come to it's. one giant problem unless it in

a limited appeal to you you. didn't buy it there isn't any fuel economy. how will climate change affect us and our children was. w dot com slash water. testing is key to beating covert 19. genetic material from the virus can tell us who's infected and who needs to be quarantined to stop it from spreading so fast. a person's antibodies can show us who has some immunity to the virus so lockdowns can be lifted and people can get back to. the trade offs between speed price and accuracy mean.

it is good to have you with us several nations have started vaccinating their citizens but the corona virus is far from beat which means detecting it is still. a german our scientists has been developing ways to not only test many people quickly cheaply and to stop chains of infection but also enable folks to go on with their lives. is supposed to take off from munich to hamburg in about an hour travelers don't just have to show their boarding passes they also have to show a negative test for the coronavirus germany's biggest airline hopes the covert 1000 tested flights program will make passengers feel comfortable flying again during the pandemic 'd.

center is just a few steps away here medical personnel take a throat swab and analyze it using an to gen rapid tests these work by detecting proteins on the virus surface the result is available after around 15 minutes without the. need for a tree. the tests are produced by companies like farm act they started developing rapid tests for covert $1000.00 shortly after the start of the pandemic the 1st step is an antibody test that uses a drop of blood to determine whether a person has had previous contact with the virus or is currently infected. next comes the antigen test like the one used. it detects the virus directly and can

determine whether someone could infect other people. into the common we talked about how can we make tests that will function everywhere without the need for a large infrastructure behind let's say in the jungle or inside these days on a small island. is. the goal is to be able to test many people quickly and cheaply to stop chains of infection and to do this worldwide even in regions that do not have a well developed infrastructure. started producing large numbers of tests within a few weeks working together with a family business that usually supplies the automotive and electrical industries. the stones assisting the discipline yes the whole system can now be scaled up so we're able to produce $300000.00 units per week for farm act. so that is the moral summation put into it the more economical the whole thing also becomes in terms of

production that. the tests only cost a few euros a fraction of the more common p.c. or tests that can only be evaluated not a bar or tree hugger. at munich airport all the passengers have now completed their coronavirus rapid tests and after a few minutes they get the results back. reliability is between 95 and 98 percent and we're currently verifying dashed by retesting each sample with a p.c.r. test not. the test of flights concept seems well received by passengers if it's going to. i think it's ok certainly as an alternative to not travelling the whole process was quick you have your results in 10 minutes you can use it to you know i don't have anything negative at this. test at all i think it's better for the people it's better for the community who are flying here. what works for

getting on a plane could also make major events such as concerts football games or just going to the cinema possible again because the coronavirus pandemic is likely to be with us for some time to spike the availability of vaccines. so knowing whether you have caught the virus or not will remain important information of course for more on this let's bring in marcus hippy he's a biologist at the german research center for environmental health he joins me via skype from munich welcome to w. marcus when it comes to the antibody test many people of the most the most of them the most important question is does a positive test result mean i'm immune. so if you're immune to the virus this is used on terror and it can not tell you because. if you were to say if you're immune you have to do a neutralization essay where you can prove that your antibody prevents the virus

from entering your cells. until now antibody tests have not been considered particularly reliable that's why you used a new method on a large scale study what did that look like. so that there are also some. kind of care casts that are reliable what we do. look for are more antibodies then a year later and that you see. especially what we what our method looks like was that we're going to play each test so we get a screening test and then a confirmation test again for antibodies against 2 different proteins so. the special about this is that really just specificity of 100 percent meaning that we would not be take any holes positives so weary reported through prevalence and

downs more on the result of your study though we scrupulous screened children in bavaria germany aged one to 18 years and what we found on from january 2020 through july was a 6 fold higher prevalence of antibodies that. the reported cases and also happened to children that had antibodies that were absent and that they. now does a higher incidence of antibodies in the population mean that more people are already immune to the virus so late in the 1st question and. you would know if this is the short answer but if you test you if you do these new trees ation as slaves and you can prove but specially these antibodies you're testing and that they also confer immunity then in principle this is right the more people actually use immunizing antibodies then of course the more people are in.

a single antibody test without these new trees and so you kind of hope that. in recent recent faction numbers have been rising to very high levels here in germany what do you think is the reason for that. so if the reason is that there are really are more infections and more or less the transmission up and correction got out of control not like it was in during the summer with lower numbers where back tracing was also possible this is not possible anymore and of course there's also more testing but also the positive rate goes up so it's not just the number of class that goes up there really are more infections my guess is they have the german research center for an environmental health thank you for talking to us thank you. so we know some more about the different methods of covert testing than we did at

the start of the show but there are questions remaining and that's when our science correspondent derek williams is happy to jump in. is it possible to test positive for $1000.00 and it's on to the same time. tricky question to answer it we need a quick refresher on the terminology antibodies our immune system proteins that can be detected by what are called serial logical tests generally from blood samples if you have antibodies that are specific to covert 19 that indicates that you were exposed to the corona virus at some point in the past whether you develop symptoms or not diagnostics like antigen and p.c.r. tests on the other hand are for detecting the virus or its genetic material so they're supposed to tell you whether you have an active infection this question

therefore basically boils down to can i have an active infection yet at the same time be producing detectable amounts of antibodies against it yes you can but but finding both involves getting the timing right that's because there's some overlap between when an infection is in full swing and the ramp up of the body's immune response in general experts say it takes a patient's body between one and 3 weeks to produce detectable amounts of the different antibodies that play a key role in fighting off covert night researchers in new york found that even patients producing antibodies in those measurable amounts however could continue to test positive for the virus for up to 4 weeks after their symptoms resolved what the team couldn't determine though was whether the. that viral genetic material was actually coming from an active viable virus p.c.r.

testing doesn't tell you that although that's really what you want to know it just tells you whether there are intact pieces of my role or in a in a sample. do you have a question for derek well to send an email to feedback dot english to d.w. dot com and type expert in the subject line or leave a comment on our you chief chapel now going forward as you go here's a story about adapting traditions to today's realities of germany's seasonal christmas markets called off due to coronavirus restrictions drive thru options have been popping up across the country and kakar need the near the docks for a family theme park has been transformed into a winter wonderland complete with artificial snow mulled wine and music cars following a 2 and a half kilometer route past who made it stands selling sausages crafts and roasted

all months of the new locked on rules in germany the 1st market will be allowed to remain open as long as the stalls only sell food for consumption in vehicles. just have to make sure you don't spill any of that sticky mulled wine that social thanks for watching. it go for. villagers in kenya were being poisoned by a lead smelting plant a factory that recycled batteries caused illnesses. but still it's all made over far harder to have the facility closed and one. group will flood to add a day when everyone in the little group would be able to see if it was. cool enough for good. to own.

or not to own. what about assuring color instead. of a change in thinking is changing the economy to create something new. or economic magazine in germany. in 60 minutes w. people knocking for claiming. there are many answers. there are many reasons.

and there are many alternatives to. make up your own mind to. make for minds. hello everyone and welcome to this new edition africa the environment. coming to you from here and joining me of course is my colleague sandra oh hello sandra hi and hello everybody thank you all for joining us on the program where we look at stories on how to make our planet greener and thereby making it better well here's

some of the stories that we'll be looking at today. here about a simple environment projects what is having a big effect in ghana. we will meet a scientist in germany looking to replant land devastated by the oil mining. and we'll see how we do it in egypt are returning to the way of life. but we begin in round where the prolonged use of illegal on regulated fishing gear to the collapse of fish stocks a number of lakes have been left severely understocked and that has they to an increase in money attrition among the local population prices on the local market are also raised an over the last 2 decades and the trend is expected to continue if fish production is not stimulated so rhonda has embarked on a vast operation to restock its 24 next we went to see how things are coming along

. i wonder on the eastern shore of lake hugo it may look idyllic but the fish is of finding more and more difficult to scrape by the lake is severely overfished his are some of the nearly 2 dozen lakes in the country. mainly contains the danes in various types of tilapia official figures see almost 900000 tons of fish report in its waters in 2018. accounted for 70 percent of wonder's entire fish oil but stalks are dwindling. in previous years a fisherman could catch between 3 to 4 kilograms a day but it is state you can spend a week on the lake and need to build a true kilograms. of. the fish market.

because fully grown fish are increasingly scarce juvenile fish are also on sale even though it is against the law and the shortage is also leading to spiralling prices. to the press of fish is increased a lot when ever the catch is poor the price pick up our business is in danger because the prices depend on the fish that is available to us. the drilling peace talks are also adversely affecting lake hughes eco systems this scientist is monitoring the water quality in guyton city the fish feed of if their numbers decline the alga is able to grow and he in that it's a vicious circle. quantity of that will create. a shadow on water on the top of the water which can. prevent oxygen to entire deported any organization or. to. the rwandan government aims to tackle the problem

with an ambitious program to boost fish stocks. and. we are currently in the process of restocking to. move your pond and other declining few species across the lakes in rwanda. to love here reproduce in the shallows close to the shore. and that makes them highly vulnerable to illegal fishermen old fish. from the one hatchery is in gambia in the south of the country it breeds types of fish found in lead. across wonder this tilapia is protecting its christly has all spring in its mouth. we select a good sample of the fish from our lakes and rivers in bring them to these points to re tongue. took us up to the when they reach reproduction age we collect their eggs in the hay cherry don't know who. the eggs being removed from

these catfish the process does not harm the female. so after a sprint is added to the eggs they are taken into the incubation pool which is heated to the ideal temperature of 30 degrees celsius so easily the tiny catfish image so lake magus around just south east of the capital kigali is one of the 1st place where the specially bred strike of being released catfish along with virus types of to latvia. is called. twice a year there is a 2 month ban on all nics to allow this talks to cover. bet it fishes are also hoping that the fish stocks here will be replenished these also some abolishment of the problems are partly homegrown it was not all fishermen

abide by the rules some usenets with the mesh size so find they can be used for mosquito nets they trip everything they come across is a problem but i also think gold purity is have some responsibility they should impose stricter sanctions which are but penalizing the fish porches will not be enough to ensure that leak he will because there has to be a change in overall awareness if the fish populations be caped stable. all children to come to. one joint problems and when you get in on it as she will be curious. to find. a cure if you keep it. how will climate change affect us and our children. mark t. w dot com slash water. to europe now where the lettuce report from the was made to

logical going is a sin says the 2020 is said to be one of the shortest. rising temperatures of causing ice in the point of it is to melt and to rise threatening to wipe entire areas off the map. that's right sondra and it's happening at an alarming rate it's all down to global warming caused by rising greenhouse gas emissions worldwide there are many strategies aimed at reducing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere planting trees is one of them but modern technology allows for other creative options to next report from iceland shows. what better place to save the planet from global warming than iceland it has energy to spare everywhere the ground is in motion scientists call it an act of volcanic area.

icelanders have long realized that the country's hot springs can serve as more than tourist attractions. a half hour's drive east of the capital reykjavik lies the hip to shake the power station it's been generating electricity and heat from steam since 2006. it's become one of the world's biggest geothermal power plants but there's another reason why scientists entrepreneurs and reporters are now fucking here. being want to meet with out a doctor the c.e.o. of a company called card fix it's working to reverse the greenhouse effect albeit on a small scale basically what's happening is that we are sucking the atmosphere through this machine and the c o 2 sticks to a specific chemical they within. this unit and so what comes out of the back is so much cleaner in. the spirit. but that's nowhere near that good.

they began using this kind of vacuum cleaner for carbon dioxide a few years ago in one of the pumping stations and our dr explains what happens to the c o 2 to miramar on the ground side transporting. busiek to that was captured at the kupchak want and it is all the water and this is then what we inject into the subsurface 700 meters underground the c o 2 then reacts with the bass all drowned and is stored there permanently it's a method that works especially well in the volcanic rock here. this is a piece of pacific or to see the c o 2 both feeling vegas within the within the course of the fact years but also on the force so gradually this all of these these still enforce could fill up with mineral lists you too depending on how much reenter. the technology is

still very expensive it also consumes a lot of water and can only be used in specific terms still carved pictures convinced that this technology will eventually help to reduce the amount of c o 2 in the atmosphere worldwide few countries in the world are feeling the effects of climate change as acutely as iceland it's once mighty glaciers are shrinking continually iceland's environment minister is taking action the icelandic government aims to make the country c o 2 neutral by 2040 to do this they're relying on new technologies and a belief in ancient sagas we have these stories and i some thought trolls became stones when their if they were exposed to sun. we can save us 3 are trying to. turn c o 2 into stone where us trolls swear. turned into

a storm and then after some. iceland or snow they can save the planet on their own but they're developing technologies that other countries can also employ in the future and the idea that believing in elves and trolls can also help does not bother anyone here. and back to africa now when young people get hold of a good idea and start putting it into action they can be unstoppable and when others see that it's making a difference words that gets around and the next thing you know they are on the equal africa doing your bit segment take a look at our heroes this week in god. these plastic bottles 5000 in old used to littered the streets of a crime now that part of an effort to inspire people at the tina international school to join the recycling revolution the un usual trash collection center was

set up by 4 schoolgirls there was a lot of classic squeezed what's around the school so they scored a exactly each looking as decent as it should be looking so you wanted to find. in this school and i mean. the girl spent 3 months collecting trash with the help of their family people from the streets to the beaches and in streams after being cleaned and saw the bottles and strung together in stack. recycling training consultant mike a family i look has been providing assistance. very disappointed when he the plastics are around because they're people. of why this is horrible and why it's hitting our environment the collected waste is sold to recycling companies with the proceeds helping to fund new environment projects at

the school. then how about you if you're also doing your bit tell us about it visit our website or send this a tweet. after doing your bit. we share your story. the number of corn a virus cases in egypt has gone down significantly since the summer but the country's tourism industries yet to recover that's affected many bad things in particular who work astral guides or take jobs in hotels and shops in the resorts along the red sea many of them decided to go back to their families and communities in the mountains often seeing normal tonnage to the upside to this radical changes that they've returned to their traditional way of life in harmony with nature and the environment. in st catherine home of the japanese have bedouins

covered 90 has brought tourism to a complete halt. those working in the industry have been left without income many jabaliya have been sent to a more traditional way of life some have gardens that are a 1000 years old so you had moved some honey it has revived his family garden to prove he would. look at. more than half the job aliya here in st catherine working truism to me so there are a few other jobs or ways to earn an income. so i've begun to live as our fathers and grandfathers did from our own gardens. egos various vegetables he also has some data trees a technique used widely here. this is a gratitude tree we took a bitter almond tree and granted a plum tree onto it it's doing well. and of. tending

to fruit trees is a longstanding tradition amongst the jabaliya bedouin take a madman to the guni owns one of the oldest gardens in the area and has been tending to it for decades. he's been encouraging other bedouins to return to their roots. of the modern urban lifestyle does not suit us then it does not appeal to our nature our nature is better when we are there we are. the main challenge the bedouin face in the garden is the lack of rain. water is gone. this year winter rains filled up the blind eye to act with but that isn't always the case the people here have to adapt to the water.