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Covid news: Aspirin tested as potential treatment and schools get coronavirus advice from call centre

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Chiara Giordano,Emily Goddard,Peter Stubley
Saturday 07 November 2020 13:28 EST
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Mass coronavirus testing scheme getting under way in Liverpool

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Aspirin will be tested as a possible treatment for Covid-19 in one of Britain's biggest trials, which will assess whether it might reduce the risk of blood clots in people with the disease.  

Scientists behind the RECOVERY trial, which is looking into a range of potential treatments for the novel coronavirus, said it would look into the painkiller, which is commonly used as a blood thinner. 

Meanwhile, teachers have reacted with anger to unskilled call handlers being drafted in to give coronavirus safety guidance to schools.  

A school leaders’ union said that in many cases call handlers do not have the knowledge or expertise needed to give helpful advice, with many reading answers from scripts. 

It came as the government has imposed its first outright travel ban on arrivals since the coronavirus pandemic began. In the early hours of Saturday, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced that foreign visitors from Denmark will be denied entry.

The unprecedented move is because of serious concerns about mutations of coronavirus spreading from mink to humans.

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