China now makes 200 million face masks a day which is more than twenty times the amount it made at the start of February. The leap has been spurred by the outbreak of a new coronavirus. The masks include the lightweight ones that people like to wear in the hope of protection against coronavirus as well as the heavy-duty N95 masks used by health-care workers. But that’s still not nearly enough to meet local demands as well as global orders. So a scramble is now underway in China. Mask factories…

As Italy grapples with the coronavirus outbreak, misinformation about how to respond to the virus is also spreading. We’ve been looking at some of the stories that have gone viral in the country, and whether there’s any truth in them. 1. The Military are on the Streets of Italy A video which was posted on Twitter, showing military vehicles on the streets, was watched more than 250,000 times. It originally said the vehicles were in the southern city of Foggia, but it later corrected this to Palermo in Sicily. This…

Coronavirus is emerging in more countries around the world and there’s currently no known cure. Unfortunately that hasn’t stopped a slew of health advice, ranging from useless but relatively harmless, to downright dangerous. We’ve been looking at some of the most widespread claims being shared online, and what the science really says. 1. Garlic as Health Advice Lots of posts that recommend eating garlic to prevent infection are being shared on Facebook. The WHO (World Health Organization) says that while it is “a healthy food that may have some antimicrobial…