Sun worshippers: Indonesians soak up the rays to battle virus

From shirtless soldiers to teens suntanning on their parents' driveways, Indonesians are soaking up rays like never before in the hope that plentiful sunshine will ward off coronavirus.

The rush to take up a practice usually associated with Bali-bound foreigners has been driven by unfounded claims on social media that sunlight -- and the vitamin D it supplies -- can slow or kill the virus.

That hope got a boost last week when a senior US official said new research showed sunlight quickly destroys the virus. The study has yet to be evaluated independently, but US President Donald Trump spoke about it enthusiastically during a press conference.

"I always avoided the sun before because I didn't want to get tanned," said Theresia Rikke Astria, a 27-year-old housewife in Indonesia's cultural capital Yogyakarta.

"But I'm hoping this will strengthen my immune system," she added.

Medics have their doubts, but say a 15-minute burst of morning sunshine can be good for you.

"Exposing the body to direct sunlight is good to get vitamin D, not to directly prevent the disease," said Dr. Dirga Sakti Rambe at Jakarta’s OMNI Pulomas Hospital.

Vitamin D, which comes from fish, eggs, milk and sunlight exposure, is important in maintaining a healthy immune system, he said, but added: "Sunbathing does not kill the virus that causes COVID-19."

Whatever the science, one thing is for sure: there is no shortage of sunshine in the tropical 5,000-kilometre- (3,100-mile-) long Southeast Asian archipelago.


The rush outdoors has led to an Indonesian government warning about the dangers of skin cancer, and calls for novice sun-seekers to slap on protection.

It was a rare caution in a place where sunbathing is not practised widely and beauty product commercials extol the virtues of fair skin.

Across Asia, pale skin has long been associated with a higher social class and skin-lightening products are big sellers.

Muslim majority Indonesia's relatively conservative dress codes -- especially for women -- mean skimpy swimwear isn't a feature of the new craze.

- 'Asian skin tone' -

But the pandemic has made a convert of Rio Zikrizal, even if he struggles with the idea of soaking his shirtless torso in the sun.

"In normal times I'd be reluctant to sunbathe," the Jakarta resident said.

"I've got an Asian skin tone which gets dark easily so I often use products to make my skin lighter."

Nabillah Ayu, who lives on the outskirts of the capital Jakarta, starts her newly adopted sunbathing routine around 10 am -- when she used to be in the office -- in the hopes of avoiding the deadly respiratory disease.

"Sunlight can't directly kill coronavirus, but it can boost the immune system and stop you from getting it," the 22-year-old said.

Bare-chested suntan sessions have been incorporated into morning exercise routines for some military and police units.

And in major cities, residents are flocking from neighbourhoods crammed with narrow, dark alleyways to open areas -- including commuter train tracks -- where they can catch some unobstructed rays.

It is a motley mix of women in head-covering hijabs with rolled up sleeves and pants, shirtless male teens and wrinkly pensioners all clamouring for a bit of sunshine as the odd train zips by.

"I've just started sunbathing regularly since the pandemic hit," Alfian, who goes by one name, told AFP near train tracks in Tangerang on the edge of Jakarta.

"Afterwards I take a shower and my body feels fitter."

Pensioner Wadianto Wadito, who suffers from heart disease and diabetes, figures he can use all the help he can get.

"I'm already taking a lot of medicines anyway, so now I'm sunbathing to get all my vitamins without taking more pills," the 65-year-old said.

Agence France-Presse

Skin cancer detection device wins award

A high-tech device capable of detecting melanoma skin cancer has won the international James Dyson Award 2017. This innovative device was developed by four engineering students from McMaster University in Canada.

The device, called sKan, detects melanoma quickly, cost-effectively and non-invasively by using temperature sensors to measure skin temperature in a specific area.

Developed by four young engineering students from McMaster University in Canada, the device impressed the James Dyson Award 2017 jury with its ease of use and its potential for saving lives worldwide by improving early diagnosis rates.

Placed directly on skin, the device applies cold to the area being tested, creating a thermal shock. It then measures how long skin takes to return to its initial temperature. The faster this occurs, the greater the likelihood of melanoma, since cancerous cells regain heat more quickly than healthy cells.

Results from the device are then transferred to a computer which creates a heat map, showing how long different areas of skin took to heat back up.

With the $40,000 prize money, the team of engineers who developed the device plan to hone their design and develop a prototype, before envisaging clinical trials in the longer term.

Each year, 200,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed worldwide. If detected in time, 90 percent of skin cancers can be treated. Seventy percent of skin cancer cases are linked to excessive sun exposure, mainly intermittent and intense periods of exposure during childhood.

The James Dyson Award is an international design award that celebrates, encourages and inspires the next generation of design engineers. Run by the charitable trust of the British inventor James Dyson, the award is open to current and recent design and engineering students in 23 countries.

Last year’s award winner was American student Isis Shiffer with her folding, recyclable cycle helmet, called EcoHelmet, designed for people using bike-sharing schemes. JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Bananas may help detect, cure skin cancer — study

PARIS, France — The black spots on old banana peels may unlock a faster, easier diagnosis of human skin cancer, boosting survival chances, scientists said Monday.

When bananas ripen, their skin is covered in small, round black spots caused by an enzyme known as tyrosinase.

The same enzyme is present in human skin, and in greater quantities in people suffering from melanoma — a potentially deadly form of skin cancer.


A team of scientists used this observed commonality to build a cancer scanner, which they then refined and tested at length on banana peels before moving on to human tissue.

First, researchers at the Laboratory of Physical and Analytical Electrochemistry in Switzerland concluded that the enzyme is a reliable marker of melanoma growth.

In the earliest stage 1 of cancer, the enzyme is not very apparent, becoming widespread and evenly distributed in stage 2, and unevenly distributed in stage 3 — by when the cancer has started spreading to other parts of the body.

The earlier the cancer is detected, the greater the chances of survival.

According to the American Cancer Society, people have a 10-year survival rate of 95 percent if the melanoma is detected in stage 1 — falling to 43 percent by mid-stage 3.

The team developed a scanner and tested it on banana peel spots — which are roughly the same size as melanoma spots on human skin.

“By working with fruit, we were able to develop and test a diagnostic method before trying it on human biopsies,” team leader Hubert Girault said in a statement.

The scanner has eight flexible microelectrodes, spaced like comb teeth, that pass over the skin to measure the quantity and distribution of tyrosinase.

“This system could obviate the need for invasive tests like biopsies,” the team said.

Girault believes the scanner could be used one day to destroy tumors, hopefully rendering biopsies and even chemotherapy unnecessary.

“Our initial laboratory tests showed us that our device could be used to destroy the cells,” he said.

The research was published in the German science journal Angewandte Chemie.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Tanning beds must carry skin cancer warning, US FDA says

The US Food and Drug Administration is strengthening its regulation of tanning beds, which have been shown to increase the risk of skin cancer.

The FDA, which is reclassifying sun lamp products from low risk to moderate risk, said on Thursday that in future sun lamp manufacturers must seek approval before they market a new product.

In addition, tanning beds must carry a visible warning against their use in people under the age of 18. Warnings about the risk of skin cancer must be included in any user instructions, brochures or marketing materials on the internet.

The requirement that beds carry a label warning against use in young people does not carry any legal weight and salon owners would not face fines if they allowed under 18-year-olds to use them.

Some dermatologists and public health advocates had argued for an actual restriction, which would have carried penalties for violators.

"We applaud the FDA for taking this important first step," said Dr. Brett Coldiron, president of the American Academy of Dermatology Association in a statement. "However, we recognize that there is still more work to be done to protect the public from these dangerous devices."

A study by the American Academy of Dermatology found that people exposed to ultraviolet radiation from indoor tanning faced a 59 percent higher risk of melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer.

Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said repeated UV exposure from sun lamp products poses a risk of skin cancer for all users, "but the highest risk for skin cancer is in young persons under the age of 18 and people with a family history of skin cancer." — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com