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Handshake? No thanks: coronavirus changes global habits

FRANCE
Newspapers have been filled with advice on how to replace kissing on the cheek – an everyday greeting in France, even between people who have only just met – and handshaking, a common formality at work.
Etiquette expert Philippe Lichtfus, who has been widely cited in the media, says handshakes are a relatively recent development that began in the Middle Ages.
He says simply looking into a person’s eyes can suffice as a greeting.

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Exposure to air pollution linked to risk of kidney diseases: Study

The researchers estimated the monthly average levels of tiny particles of air pollution — called fine particulate matter — based on participants’ home addresses. They noted that fine particulate matter comes from a variety of sources including fossil fuel combustion, industrial processes, and natural sources.They found that exposure to higher amounts of fine particulate matter was associated with a higher degree of albuminuria — a marker of kidney dysfunction — at the start of the study as well as a higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease over time

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Coronavirus spread puts densely populated India on high alert

Apart from its sheer size, India is cause for particular worry because of the density of its population: 420 people live on each square kilometer (about 0.4 of a square mile), compared with 148 per square kilometer in China. Places like Mumbai’s Dharavi slum, or even a typical Indian household containing extended families, can facilitate contact with virus-bearing droplets emitted by breathing, talking, coughing or sneezing.

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