The Know Daily - Friday 14 April 2023

_{Read in 5m 30s ∙ Listening to Mahalia}

A couple living in Pembrokeshire, Wales, were puzzled when they noticed “machete-like damage” in a nearby field. After installing a nighttime camera, they discovered that they had a squatter in the form of a wild beaver - the first seen in Wales in 400 years! The creatures had previously been hunted to extinction, so this sounds like dam good news… 🦫

🏖️ 🏠 Stricter rules for holiday homes

Planning permission will be needed before properties are converted into short-term holiday lets under new government plans aimed at easing housing problems in tourist hotspots.

What would the plans involve?
The proposals are aimed at helping residents who are struggling to find housing in popular holiday destinations, such as Cornwall or the Lake District, due to the high number of holiday lets. Housing Secretary Michael Gove, who has launched a consultation on the plans, said that too many people are being “pushed out of cherished towns, cities and villages”.

The measures would not affect hotels, hostels or B&Bs, and would only apply to short-term lets in England. Owners would be able to let out their own home “for a short time” without requiring permission, and local authorities could choose not to use the planning controls.

How common are holiday lets?
The number of holiday lets in England has risen by 40% in three years, with tourist areas such as Scarborough and North Devon seeing particularly sharp increases. In February 2022, the BBC reported that residents in Cornwall were having to live in Airbnbs in their hometowns after being priced out of the rental market due to the rise in holiday lets.

How has the news been received?
Airbnb has welcomed the scheme but warned that any changes to the current system will need to “strike a balance between protecting housing and supporting everyday families who let their space to help afford their home and keep pace with rising living costs”.

Labour accused the government of failing to build enough houses over the last 13 years, reiterating its promise to increase home ownership to 70% if elected in 2024.

👃 Long Covid treatment smells promising

A video of a long Covid patient regaining her sense of smell after two years recently went viral on social media. Ohio-based Jennifer Henderson received an injection treatment - known as a stellate ganglion block (SGB) - which is being hailed by some as a potential cure for Covid-related loss of smell. But does it really work?

Tell me more.
For decades, SGBs have been used to treat pain and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - and now they are being used to treat long Covid too. The procedure involves injecting anaesthetic into a bundle of nerves (called the stellate ganglion) on both sides of a person’s neck.

What’s the theory behind it?
The nerves are part of something called the sympathetic nervous system, which controls automatic bodily functions such as digestion and heart rate. This area isn’t known to have an impact on how a person smells, which has left some experts sceptical about the efficacy of the procedure.

That said, some doctors have reported a real improvement in long Covid patients. One theory is that the procedure may increase blood flow to the brain, or act as a “reset button” for the sympathetic nervous system.

But how effective is it really?
That’s still not clear. Henderson received the procedure at Ohio’s Cleveland Clinic, which hopes to launch a wider clinical trial soon. But while these dramatic responses to treatment have made the rounds on social media, the procedure doesn’t work for everyone.

One doctor at the clinic told NBC News that of the roughly 30 long Covid patients she has treated with SGBs, around half have got better and the level of improvement has varied between 25% and 90%.

Nevertheless, given the lack of current treatments for smell disorders, SGBs are certainly a welcome step. It’s also worth noting that around 90% of patients who lose their sense of smell due to Covid recover it within anywhere from two weeks to three months.

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🏉 Presidential problems: During a speech at a pub in Dundalk, Ireland, last night, US President Joe Biden appeared to confuse the All Blacks rugby team with the Black and Tans, the contentious British paramilitary force during Ireland’s War of Independence era. Biden is set to address the Irish Parliament today.

⚠️ Diabetes warning: A new report has revealed an all-time high for type 2 and type 1 diabetes in the UK, with the charity Diabetes UK warning of a “rapidly escalating” crisis.

🤔 Smacking ban: Children’s charities have expressed disbelief at the government’s decision to reject a full ban on the physical punishment of children in England. Any type of corporal punishment, including smacking or hitting, is illegal in Wales, Scotland and Jersey.

👑 Keeping up with the coronation: Prince Harry will attend the King’s coronation next month but Meghan Markle will not, Buckingham Palace confirmed on Wednesday. It will be Harry’s first appearance with the royal family since his memoir, Spare, was published.

📺 Small screen spells: HBO Max has officially confirmed that a new Harry Potter TV series is in the works. The live-action adaptation will be based on all seven books and become a “decade-long series”.

Trivia answer: B) Bobi is 30 years old - no mean feat when you consider that the average lifespan for a dog is between 10-13 years!

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