Covid-19 Test, rapid antigen test, RAT

Uncommon facts on rapid antigen tests

Even with encouraging recent developments in vaccine research, rapidly testing, tracking, tracing, and isolating (TTTI) remain to be critical components of public health policy responses to the COVID 19 pandemic. This note updates a previous OECD brief on similar tactics in light of current technological advancements in testing. Molecular assays, particularly RT-PCR rapid antigen tests, remain the gold standard for diagnosing infections due to their high reliability.

However, capacity restrictions and the relatively expensive cost of the RT-PCR rapid antigen test preclude its widespread application. Rapid antigen tests developed more recently have the benefit of delivering findings significantly more fast. Additionally, they are less expensive, easier to use, and maybe conducted at the point of care, allowing for their widespread adoption.

They are, however, less accurate than molecular testing. To accomplish their aims, testing techniques might mix and complement several technologies, taking into consideration their unique strengths and weaknesses.

While testing for Covid-19 is no longer foreign to us, as it becomes further engrained in our life (at least for the next few months), it’s a good idea to brush up on how to guarantee your test is quick and accurate every time. Here are five short tips.

Tip 1 – Become acquainted with the kit and instructions!

Most of us have probably taken a Covid-19 test by now! However, it is prudent to read the directions thoroughly in case the procedure differs from what you have previously encountered. This will guarantee that an accurate sample is taken. This is particularly critical if you are doing a lateral flow device test, since the result will be processed by you. Learn more about different types of COVID-19 tests at http://brusselsobserver.com/understanding-different-types-of-covid-rapid-antigen-tests/

Tip 2 – Are your eyes watering or do you feel the want to sneeze? This is accurate!

While doing a nose and throat swab test is quite uncomfortable, we want to emphasize that if you gag or your eyes water while swabbing your throat, you are performing the test properly! The same is true for your nose if you’re about to sneeze.

Tip 3 – Ensure that you understand how to return your exam.

Returning the test to our rapid antigen tests lab may vary depending on the delivery option you choose. If you’re returning through Royal Mail (Standard Delivery), please ensure that you know the location of your closest priority mailbox, since this service does not provide at-home pickup.

If you’ve selected our expedited courier service, the courier will wait outside while you complete the exam. Please note that we are unable to arrange for the courier to retrieve the test at a different time than when it is dropped off.

Tip 4 – Obtaining your outcomes.

Within 24 hours of the lab receiving your rapid antigen tests sample, you will have your findings! After they’ve been processed, we’ll send you an email inviting you to log in to https://clinicalsupplies.com.au and download them together with any accompanying documentation.

Tip 5 – Information about travel certificates.

If you’ve scheduled a ‘Fit to Fly’ exam, we’ll provide you with a GP-signed travel certificate. The following is the information that will appear on your certificate:

  • The test barcode number 
  • Your full name, date of birth, and passport number 
  • The date you took the swab and the date the laboratory tested the swab 
  • The laboratory’s name and any accreditations 
  • Your result

While recent developments in the development of a vaccine for COVID 19 are hopeful, testing, tracking, tracing, and isolating (TTTI) techniques will remain critical. Only TTTI can prevent further outbreaks of illness during lockdowns until whole populations are immunized. There are two primary sorts of rapid antigen tests technologies that may be used to inform such methods.

  • Molecular assays, particularly RT-PCR, continue to be the gold standard for diagnosing current infections. These tests have been shown to be quite dependable – they exhibit a high degree of sensitivity and specificity. However, capacity restrictions and the relatively expensive cost of RT-PCR rapid antigen tests preclude their widespread adoption. Additionally, it takes time to generate test results. learn more difference about these COVID-19 test at https://www.enzolifesciences.com/science-center/technotes/2017/march/what-are-the-differences-between-pcr-rt-pcr-qpcr-and-rt-qpcr?/
  • The primary benefit of rapid antigen testing is that they provide findings considerably more rapidly. Additionally, they are easy to execute, may be done at the point of care, and are less expensive than molecular tests, allowing for their usage on a broad scale. They are, however, less trustworthy than molecular tests – they have a high degree of specificity but a low degree of sensitivity.

The testing strategy’s goals should dictate the sort of test to use, taking these strengths and limits into mind.

  • Given the rapidity and scale with which point-of-care rapid antigen tests may be utilized, monitoring certain demographic groups where a new cluster of illnesses is expected to arise is the most
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Covid-19 Test, rapid antigen test, RAT

Understanding different types of COVID rapid antigen tests

Over the past six months, scientists and professionals from across the globe have developed and validated novel techniques for recognizing the coronavirus. As science improves and becomes more widely accepted, you may find it difficult to keep up with the newest rapid antigen tests and procedures. You are not alone in this.

We contacted Brian Mochon, PhD, a clinical microbiologist and system medical director for infectious disease testing at Sonora Quest Laboratories/Laboratory Sciences of Arizona, for his perspective on the COVID-19 testing’s unique sample collection methodologies. He outlined three methods for diagnosing a patient: throat swabs, nasal swabs, and nasopharyngeal swabs. Dr. Mochon also highlighted other collection techniques, including the use of saliva and sample pooling. Learn more about rapid antigen tests at https://clinicalsupplies.com.au/collections/rapid-antigen-tests

Swab amassed

You’ve definitely heard a few friends discuss their nose swab experiences. Certain friends may wax eloquent about their suffering, while others dismissively state that it was little. Both are saying the truth. “These samples may be taken from various depths in the nose,” Dr. Mochon said. “While some swabs are intended to take samples from the nasal walls of the nostril, others are designed to capture samples from deeper into the nasal cavity” (i.e., the nasopharynx). Additionally, samples may be taken from the back of the throat, referred to as an oropharyngeal (OP) swab. All swabs have the same objective — to detect respiratory secretions and infectious cells.”

Therefore, why isn’t everyone just adopting the most convenient method? According to Dr. Mochon, “samples taken from deeper in the nasopharynx have been shown to have a greater viral content or titer.” In other words, sampling with nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs is more likely to provide a correct diagnosis than sampling with a nasal or throat swab.” As a result, the nasopharyngeal swab has long been considered the gold standard for trustworthy testing. Click here to learn some complications of the nasopharyngeal swab test.

“Of course, there is still a place for collecting nasal or throat samples,” Dr. Mochon said. “Obviously, they are more comfortable, but they may also be a safer option for people who suffer from persistent nose bleeds or nasal polyps. If you have one of these disorders, you should consult your provider regarding the optimal sample type for your requirements; nonetheless, nasopharyngeal samples should be the main technique of collection whenever feasible.”

Laboratory Examination of the Sample

After collecting the swab, it is put in a liquid called transport medium and transferred to the laboratory for processing and testing. Indeed, you may be surprised to hear that the lab analyzes all swabs identically (nasal, NP, and throat). This is because the collecting swabs are seeking the same thing – the virus in respiratory secretions and infected cells. Once the swab is inserted into the transport medium, the virus and infected cells are released into the liquid. The liquid is then used to conduct rapid antigen tests.

Saliva

Dr. Mochon was effusive in his praise for this sample type. “Preliminary results from a variety of labs throughout the nation indicate that saliva may be as accurate as of the NP swab.” He continued by stating that if saliva is shown to be a reliable and accurate sample type, it will result in a more pleasant experience for the patient and reduce the need for swabs throughout the collection process. This is really encouraging for patients and medical professionals alike.”

Dr. Mochon added that the deeper, NP swabs might sometimes elicit sneezing or choking, which can result in the virus being aerosolized. Healthcare staff is protected by masks and other protective gear while doing NP swabs. With saliva, this is not an issue since the patient would simply spit into a tube or a cup.

Pooling

Multiple patient samples are mixed and evaluated in this manner. If a value is negative, it is presumed that all values are negative. If a patient tests positive, the laboratory will retest him or her separately. The aim for this strategy is to expand the laboratory’s testing capacity while saving money on testing reagents, which have been restricted in quantity because to the scale and breadth of the COVID-19 epidemic. This approach is only applicable if the viral prevalence is less than 5-6 percent.

Should I Have My Blood Tested?

While these rapid antigen tests are becoming more readily accessible, they are still generally reserved for those who exhibit symptoms. If you are symptom-free, you may like to read more about the antibody rapid antigen tests. If you are experiencing COVID-19-related symptoms, please contact our symptom checker at bannerhealth.com for guidance on next measures.

Don’t: If you have no symptoms, get checked. This is why:

  • There are still a limited number of COVID-19 rapid antigen tests available, and they must be saved for those in most
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Eye Surgery, LASIK

The Top Pros and Cons of Eye Surgery using LASIK

The LASIK process of eye surgery requires some level of careful consideration and evaluation. In addition, you need to consider the cost and compare it with the involved risks in the process. Moreover, when the experts in eye surgery weigh the advantages and disadvantages of the LASIK process, you can make a more informed decision. 

Furthermore, there are many reasons why patients may seek eye surgery using the LASIK process. At least one thing is clear – everyone wants to wake up in the morning without the worry of grappling for contact lenses or seeing glasses. In addition, people want to enjoy their work with optimum leisure, comfort, and a clear vision. But as soon as you begin to experience some difficulty, it becomes an indication to seek help in the right place. 

What is Eye Surgery using LASIK?

Operating the eye with the LASIK procedure involves cutting a small flap of the cornea surface cells. Then, reshaping the underlying cornea to perfect the sight of the patient. Moreover, the price of the procedure is another reason why some people may hesitate on LASIK Surgery. For example, when you also consider that LASIK is usually not covered by a typical insurance policy, you may want to have an alternative means of payment for the procedure. 

Therefore, let us carefully observe the pros and cons of the eye surgery procedure using LASIK.

LASIK Surgery: Pros and Cons | Kraff Eye Institute

Pros of LASIK Eye Surgery

LASIK eye surgery is safe and quick

As an outpatient procedure, the LASIK eye surgery may not take more than 20 minutes, with all other factors remaining normal. Meanwhile, the bulk of the time of the eye surgery is even spent preparing for the procedure. There are two options to getting the patient ready for LASIK.

The first one is using an anesthetic for the patient to sleep. Alternatively, if the patient is awake, the process may require valium drug to calm the eye nerves for the procedure. In addition, the method involving the use of a laser also requires that the patient be patient with peace of mind.

Meanwhile, the laser also shuts down the patient’s eye to not make any sudden movement that could lead to an error or injury.  Visit http://brusselsobserver.com/the-journey-after-lasik-laser-eye-surgery/ to read about The Journey after LASIK Laser Eye Surgery.

You can get LASIK results quickly

The results of undergoing eye surgery with the LASIK procedure are obtainable in no time. LASIK patients can quickly gain back their clear sight in a few hours after completing the procedure. Meanwhile, the patient can also return to their complete activities within the following 48 hours. 

However, if the patient receives a PRK, the recovery time may be longer, about one month. Apart from the length of time, the recovered patient may also experience some form of minor pain due to removing the corneal surface. 

  1. LASIK can help you live without glasses or contactless completely

Eye patients choosing either the PRK or the LASIK procedure for eye surgery may become completely free from using glasses or contact lenses. This prospect alone can be life-changing as it encourages one to live an everyday life after that. Moreover, engage in certain activities that make the use of glasses a bit more inconvenient. It may be a good idea to undergo LASIK eye surgery. 

After undergoing the LASIK procedure, you can be completely free to do the activities that you couldn’t do before due to poor eye vision. On the other hand, those sick of wearing contacts for a long time, thereby causing dry eyes, may prefer to do eye surgery with the LSIK procedure.  

Cons of LASIK Eye Surgery

LASIK is not for everyone

As sweet as the discussed advantages are, kindly note that the LASIK eye surgery procedure is unsuitable for everyone. Notably, anyone that is older than the age of 40 is not eligible for the system. The reason is that if there is a presence of presbyopia, another eye condition, LASIK may not work. By the way, presbyopia is when the eye lens is a bit stiff and becomes a little difficult to produce a close-up vision.

On the other hand, if patients have thin corneas or high prescriptions, another similar surgery, the photorefractive keratectomy or PRK, may be more suitable. Another reason may be that the patients don’t have enough residual cornea to be structurally eligible for LASIK. Remember that the LASIK procedure involves some flap making. 

LASIK involves some risks

One reported side effect of the eye procedure using LASIK is that the eyes may experience some dryness for a few months. In the meantime, the patient can make use of artificial tears to keep it moist. However, this experience may not become a permanent case as it often changes after three months. In addition, there is also a …

Eye Surgery, LASIK Laser Eye

The Journey after LASIK Laser Eye Surgery

We cannot overemphasize the beauty of undergoing LASIK eye surgery to regain your vision and be free from glasses and contact lenses. This article may not begin from a description of how the LASIK process came to be. Instead, we will consider the journey after your LASIK surgery, especially during the recovery period. 

It is essential to have all the information you need about LASIK before, during, and after your eye surgery. Meanwhile, the latter part is most important because it covers what you need to do to care for your eyes after the procedure. This part can also play a significant role in ensuring that you maximize the process without suffering any relapse or unnecessary pain.

Below are the details of the involved stages in your journey of recovery. We will take it from when you first open your eyes to the next moments, days, weeks, and months after the surgery. Indeed, LASIK eye surgery can change your life as it has changed many celebrities you know. 

The moment you first open your eyes

One exciting thing about the LASIK procedure is that when you open your eyes, most patients get an improved vision. Also, it feels as if you open your eyes underwater. Even if it does not appear in an instant, it is still enjoyable. The enjoyable part is because you now can see clearly without the need for glasses or lenses. Most people get the excitement as soon as they open their eyes for the first time after the surgery.

Furthermore, within the following few hours, your vision should get a lot better and more transparent. You will even be able to drive out of the hospital by yourself. No doubt, this period is the beginning of the journey to full recovery, and you will do well not to think the process is complete. The entire process of recovery from eye surgery using LASIK can take up to 6 months. However, the development and quality of vision continue to improve. 

The first 24 hours of your LASIK Recovery 

The journey has already started when you begin to notice the improved vision during recovery with LASIK. Never mind that it looks foggy for now as if you are underwater; it gets clearer and sharper in no time. As the vision gets more apparent, you can begin to journey back home through a ride or if you can wait for over 24 hours before driving home. 

Meanwhile, the eye procedure also involves covering your eyes with shields for protection against injury. In addition, the covering shields your eyes from the light rays since they can be susceptible. Just imagine waking up from sleep and turning to bright light. That is not too palatable, or is it? 

7 Stages you pass through within the first 24 hours

Take note of the following steps that occur within the first 24 hours of recovery after your surgery.

  • Your discharge from the hospital comes with a doctor’s prescription involving eye drops to prevent your eyes from inflammation and infection. In addition, in case of experiencing dryness in the eyes, you can also use non-prescription eye drops to lubricate the eyes.
Managing Dry Eye Symptoms and Optimizing Comfort | LA Sight
  • The eye drops you have for keeping your eyes moist can also be held in the fridge to keep it cool. Moreover, the result of relief is much better when the liquid is excellent on the eyes. Meanwhile, when you arrive home, take about 4 hours to get a night of good sleep to enhance blood flow through the eye veins. If you can spare that 4 hours, you should feel much better because the recovery process will be much faster. 
  • Remember that you had anesthesia before the surgery began. Therefore, as the anesthesia wears off from your system, you may feel some level of discomfort. Moreover, some patients have reported a slight burning, itching, or a feeling of tiny sand in the eye. All these sensations only show that your eyes are healing and adjusting to the surgery aftermath. It will only last for some hours, and you will be outstanding afterward. Click here to learn about The Top Pros and Cons of Eye Surgery using LASIK.
Unhappy with LASIK or Cataract Surgery results? We can help
  • As time goes on, there are some other symptoms that you may begin to experience. For instance, you may experience puffy eyelids, light sensitivity (especially when sudden), tearing, seeing halos, or starbursts around lights at night. In addition, you may get red or bloodshot eyes. However, with time during the week, you should feel much better. Meanwhile, this time is right for getting some days off from work until you feel good.
  • You should also wear eye shields when trying to sleep within the first week after surgery. The reason is that rubbing your eyes against the pillow or blanket may slow down your
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Climate Change, Environment, Europe

Exclusive: inside the media conspiracy to hype Greta Thunberg

Over 250 news outlets and journalists partnered with Columbia University School of Journalism’s flagship magazine to shape control of “climate crisis” coverage in the lead-up to the United Nations climate conference. The coverage-coordination initiative included directing how much time, space, and prominence should be devoted to the coverage, and asking that climate “news” be added to seemingly unrelated stories.

Some of the biggest media outlets in the country, such as CBS and Bloomberg, joined the effort. But others, such as The Washington Post and The New York Times, declined to participate in a project they reportedly feared appeared activist in nature. More troubling, a number of the major outlets that joined did not disclose participation to their readers.

In addition to CBS and Bloomberg, the effort, called Covering Climate Now, involved BuzzFeed News, HuffPost, The Daily Beast, the Center for Public Integrity, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Slate, Vanity Fair, and The Weather Channel, among many others. BuzzFeed and The Huffington Post were among the major outlets that did not disclose the coordination. When asked by the Daily Caller News Foundation, the lack of disclosure was criticized by the Society of Professional Journalists.

The coordination effort was organized in part by Columbia Journalism Review (CJR), a nonprofit that represents professional journalists and was traditionally focused primarily on journalism ethics. Covering Climate Now’s founders hope to continue elevating climate news even after the project ends. The effort’s target was the lead-up to, and coverage of, the U.N. “Climate Action Summit,” held Sept. 15-23.

BuzzFeed News reached more than 27 million unique views between September and October, according to Quantcast, a website measuring audience size. BuzzFeed is owned by Jonah Peretti, an internet entrepreneur who founded the outlet in 2006 to track viral online content, and the left-leaning HuffPo is owned by Verizon Communications. Media tycoon Arianna Huffington originally founded HuffPo in 2005 with the help of Peretti.

Covering Climate Now’s founders kicked off the project in April and announced in May that they would ask partners to devote a week to climate-related news, starting in September. The Nation environmental correspondent Mark Hertsgaard co-founded the project under the assumption that the news outlets don’t cover climate change as urgently as he thinks they should.

WaPo and others did not contribute because they believe Covering Climate Now has the “aroma” of advocacy, he complained in September.

“We believe that every news organization in America, and many around the world, can play a part,” CJR posted May 22. Sometimes that will mean committing your newsroom to important and high-impact stories. Other times it will mean sharing your content, engaging your community, or adding a few lines of climate information to stories that wouldn’t otherwise have them.”

Covering Climate Now has not responded to the DCNF’s request for comment.

Much of the group’s coverage leading up to the U.S. climate summit focused on Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old girl who traveled to the U.S. in August on a racing yacht. Her visit was designed to galvanize American support for policies that seek to tackle climate change.

Thunberg’s activism and Covering Climate Now’s media blitz seemed to fall flat with the crowd of United Nations diplomats: No major promises were made to tackle climate change at the summit. The European Union, for instance, didn’t go along with environmentalists’ wishes and set a goal to be carbon neutral by mid-century out of fear that such ambitions would tank its member state’s struggling economies.

“Large parts of the mainstream media have stopped pretending to strive for objectivity in their reporting,” Myron Ebell, a climate skeptic, and director of the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Center for Energy and Environment told the DCNF. “On the climate issue, many outlets and reporters are now publicly boasting about the fact that they are promoting their own prejudices on the grounds that increasing global energy poverty is a noble cause.”

Ebell was not the only energy advocate to criticize the program. “This is nothing more than what used to be known as ‘civic journalism’ … or propaganda for the left dressed up as news reporting,” Steve Milloy, JunkScience.com publisher, told the DCNF. He also suggested the media are being hypocritical. They would thrash the fossil fuel industry if it attempted to recruit reporters in a quest to support natural gas, Milloy said.

Much Of The Content Was Not Disclosed

BuzzFeed News and HuffPost did not divulge their participation in Covering Climate Now in any of the articles they published on climate change during that week, according to a DCNF review of the project. They never mention the words “Covering Climate Now” in any of their posts during the week-long coverage leading up to the climate summit.

HuffPost did not respond to numerous requests for comment while BuzzFeed News said the partnership did not affect the …

Climate Change, Culture, Environment, Women & Children

Greta Thunberg awarded children’s international peace prize

The international organization for the defense of children’s rights KidsRights on Friday awarded its International Children’s Peace Prize to the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg (16) and Divina Malorum (14) from Cameroon.

The award ceremony will take place on November 20 near The Hague (Netherlands) on World Children’s Day.

Both winners were selected from among 137 candidates from 56 countries for the prize, celebrating its fifteenth birthday and involving 1.2 billion people last year, according to KidsRights.

Divina founded the association Children for Peace in Cameroon in order to warn of the recruitment of children to join armed groups in the country, the target of terrorist attacks since 2014, and to consolidate its participation in the peace-building process and sustainable development. The C4P network now numbers 100 children living in the country’s ten regions.

“She gives them the means to be actors in the change and encourages them to take part in peace initiatives within their communities. She has organized an inter-community peace camp for children, set up peace clubs in mosques, and, with other children, drafted a children’s declaration condemning violent extremism,” Kids Rights explained.

As for Greta Thunberg, she is a role model in terms of international student climate activism, according to the organization. Following a period of depression lasting months when she stopped eating, going to school, and speaking, the young Swede resolved to make changes in her own life concerning climate matters. She avoids flying, eats neither meat nor dairy products, and never buys anything new, KidsRights pointed out.

Then, in August 2018, she pepped up and proceed to express herself. Inspired by the March for Our Lives movement and winner of the International Children’s Peace Prize 2018, she effectively sat down in front of the Swedish parliament with a banner of her own making on which “skolstrejk för climate” (school strike for the climate) was written. Greta Thunberg has since become an international figure in the fight against climate change.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a patron of KidsRights and the prize it has been awarding for more than ten years, addressed the winners with a personal message. “I have much admiration for you. Your powerful message is amplified by your youthful energy and unshakeable convictions according to which children have the capacity, if not the duty, to better their own futures. You are true actors for change and have shown in the most potent way there is that children can take the world forward.”…

Climate Change, Environment, Europe, Featured, News

Third Brussels Youth Climate March goes global

El Pais, Le Monde, the New York Times, The Australian, the BBC…the third Brussels Youth Climate March, which on Thursday brought together 35,000 participants, is echoed in all of the international press.“These youngsters will continue their once a week march, as long as the government takes no action,” stresses El Pais. The Spanish daily is citing Reuters, mentioning that Brussels is regularly flagged up as one of the most bottlenecked cities in Europe. 

The New York Times, also citing Reuters, reports the clear figures for the pro-climate demonstration, also stressing the permanent congestion of the Belgian capital and Europe. “This is a sign of shame for the city where the European Union fixes European Climate Policy,” reports the American daily’s website. 

“The third Brussels Youth Climate March was a success,” reports the Dutch daily, Algemeen Dagblad, which also mentions the various gatherings organized in other Belgian cities, was tested with rapid antigen test and then they took part in the gathering, RAT is very important for all gathering.

No initiative of this kind has been seen in the Netherlands as yet. However, environmental organizations have planned a march in Amsterdam for 10th March this year.  

Le Monde further mentions a “pro-climate school strikes” movement, of an unexpected magnitude, “going beyond Belgium’s traditional linguistic divisions,” youngsters coming from Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels. “Four ministers, no concrete policy,” the daily moreover reports, citing a slogan displayed by a student in Brussels. 

“We will continue until the politicians finally act,” confided one of the youngsters on the Climate March to the BBC, which also found its way amongst the demonstration. “We came here with those in years 7 and 8. It is actually more like a school trip. Our teacher organized it so we are not missing school,” stated another student to the British channel, which was gathering information on the demonstrator’s motivations.

On its website, The Australian disseminated a video of Thursday’s march. In November, thousands of pupils had also played truant across the country to demand concrete action by the Government. The movement “Strike 4 Climate Action” had been inspired by Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenager who in a few weeks became a global figure for pro-climate militantism.

Having inspired thousands of pupils across the world, including Belgium, Germany, Australia, Canada, and Switzerland, she has called for an international school strike on 15th March. On Thursday, she moreover described as “heroes” the young Belgians who had skipped classes to demand ambitious political measures against global warming. 

The “New China Agency” (Xinhua) which had already supported the movement at the beginning of January, devoted a story to the march by 35,000 participants. “The demonstrations, five times more significant than a week earlier, gathered together students from all levels of education,” flagged up the Chinese agency, citing slogans such as “Make Belgium Great Again” or “Cool Kids Against Global Warning”. A further demonstration is due to take place, this Sunday 27thJanuary, initiated by the citizen collective “Rise for Climate Belgium”.…