DUBAI // The UAE's preparations for their debut appearance at the Dubai Rugby Sevens have suffered a late blow after Quihen Marais, the exciting teenage prospect from Al Ain, was forced to withdraw yesterday due to illness.
Marais, who was born in South Africa but has lived in Al Ain since he was 11 months old, had been hospitalised after the UAE returned from the Goa Sevens two weeks ago.
His recovery was slow and Wayne Marsters, the UAE coach, made the call to replace him with Stephane Imbert, whose Dubai Hurricanes teammates will now have to begin their Gulf Men's campaign without him today.
"We had been monitoring Quihen's progress, but he was only 70 per cent recovered and the doctor felt that he still needed a few days more," Marsters said.
The coach is hopeful he will be able to name Marais, who is diabetic, in his squad for the Emirates Cup of Nations Test matches which start six days after this weekend's Sevens.
In addition to playing senior international rugby for the first time, Marais, 18, is still learning how to manage his diabetes in the taxing environment of a two-day sevens competition.
"It has been a learning experience for him, and he had some moments in India where he had to make sure he took control of his blood sugar level," Marsters said. "We have a doctor looking after him and helping him with nutrition, and the whole squad were taking ownership of helping him with that."
Imbert, the French fly-half from the Hurricanes, had to ask permission to leave work early yesterday, to join up with the rest of the UAE squad at their hotel in Festival City.
Rama Chand was also replaced by David Matasio, a Kenyan-born flanker from Dubai Wasps.
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Losses: 4
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Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
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Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
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