Briefs | Chinese doctor advises Trump not to take medicines

A Chinese doctor has said he does not recommend that people take medicines when they have not been prescribed them. Doctor Alvis Lo from Macau’s Conde de São Januário Hospital Center made the comments during the government’s daily press briefing on Covid-19 yesterday. He was asked by a journalist about the revelation U.S. President Donald Trump has been taking Hydroxychloroquine for a couple of weeks as a measure against Covid-19. “People that are not sick should not take any medicines,” said Lo, adding that there are currently up to 10 drugs that are being tested and the results are being continuously analyzed to determine their effectiveness. The doctor also stressed that drug testing is a serious matter and requires a scientific approach by experts. “Just because one person took a drug and did well, this does not mean that all people taking it will get the same results.”

Steve Wynn predicts coming bounce in Macau

Casino developer Steve Wynn is predicting Macau will “bounce back very rapidly” from its economic downturn once the border restrictions from the mainland are lifted. Speaking to Fox Business this week, Wynn pointed to developments on nearby Hengqin as evidence of a coming bounce. “They opened it up a couple weeks ago,” said Wynn, “and 20-odd thousand people came on the first day. That’s the kind of energy that’s been suppressed and will jump out [upon reopening].” The former CEO of casino operator Wynn Resorts said that U.S.-based casino firms with a presence in Macau will benefit from the bounce. In addition to Wynn Macau, the Macau arm of Wynn Resorts, rival Nevada operators MGM Resorts International and Las Vegas Sands also have a presence in the Macau SAR. Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas will accept reservations again starting from June 1. Like in Macau, the company’s properties are to reopen with thermal cameras, temperature checks and face masks for guests.

UM joins university group studying psychosocial effects of Covid-19

The University of Macau has joined a collective of 15 other universities and research institutions around the world to conduct an international study of the psychosocial effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The study aims to investigate the long-term mental health effects of the Covid-19 pandemic worldwide, in order to provide key policy guidance and to strengthen existing health services. The study will be conducted in 14 countries over the course of one year. The research team is formed by scholars at 16 universities and medical institutions around the world, including Yale University in the United States, the University of New South Wales in Australia, the University Hospital Zurich of the University of Zurich in Switzerland, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the United Kingdom.