KARE COVID 19 Response Bulletin 18
Kumaraguru Action for Relief and Empowerment (KARE), was founded in Nov, 2015 during the Chennai floods. KARE supports the victims of natural disasters such as floods, cyclone and other calamities and has supported during Kerala floods & Gaja Cyclone. This is a volunteer movement of Kumaraguru Institutions where many join hands when the need arises.
KARE COVID 19 Response Bulletin is an effort by a group of Kumaraguru alumni, students & informed citizens alike to clear the clutter around COVID 19 by providing informative, insightful news, articles & data around the world under various tags such as Research, Technology, Education, Economy & Insights with a short summary for each.
COVID19 Basic Info & Previous Bulletin Link: tinyurl.com/blog-KARE
STATISTICS
India vs the World – Rally to control the viral spread
| COVID-19 | Active Cases | Recovered | Casualties |
| India | 9,73,211 | 3,699,298 | 78,614 |
| World | 7,219,811 | 20,728,457 | 922,918 |
The above graph depicts the percentage of cumulative tests turning positive in states with more than one lakh cases. It is seen that Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa, Assam, Kerala have increasing Test Positive Ratio(TPR) while it is decreasing in states like Delhi, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Telangana, Gujarat and Bihar.| Dr.Rijo M John
The above graph shows the cumulative confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the world. It can be seen that India has overtaken Brazil to become the second-worst-hit nation by the pandemic. America still continues to be the worst affected country across the globe.| Relief Central
ECONOMY
The decline in GDP due to COVID-19
The GDP decline in the April-June quarter (Q1) does not relate to the economy’s performance leading into the pandemic. The economy is recovering strongly in the unlock phase. “One quarter of the GDP as on June 30, 2019, has been wiped out in the last 12 months”. Changes in GDP are compared to the GDP during the same quarter last year only to adjust for seasonality in economic activity. In about 10-12 per cent, every 1 per cent decline in consumption and investment requires an 8-9 per cent increase in government spending to keep GDP at the same level. While the government responds to this enormous crisis, this basic arithmetic must be kept in mind. | Indian Express
VACCINE & TESTING
China exhibits its vaccine for the first time
China has put its homegrown Coronavirus vaccines (produced by Sinovac Biotech and Sinopharm) on display for the first time. China’s nationalistic tabloid – Global Times reported that the prices will not be high. Every two doses are estimated to cost below 1000yuan. China’s official news agency has said that another vaccine candidate, developed by military scientists can deal with mutations of the virus. The World Health Organization has warned that widespread immunization against COVID-19 may not be on the cards until the middle of next year.| Times of India
Russia shares data on vaccine with India
A comprehensive data report on Sputnik V vaccine’s safety and efficacy was submitted by the Russian Research Institute to the Indian authorities. India had sought it from Moscow based Gamaleya Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology after it triggered a strong immune response in phase 1 and 2 of clinical trials. As the data gets evaluated by experts, one option is there to have a separate phase 3 trial here, in India. Though the western experts were skeptical to the secrecy and speed of the Gamaleya candidate, Russian researchers concluded in their study that the vaccine is safe and well-tolerated.| Indian Express
COVID-19: India scales a new peak as total number of tests cross 5 crore-mark
The Health Ministry announced that recovery rates have increased to 76.6%. The average week tests are showing acceleration by 3.2 times compared to the third week of July to the first week of September. The expanding network of diagnostic labs has given a boost to Tests per Million(TPM), as advised by WHO. India’s COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.7 percent. The health ministry stressed that more than 70 percent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities. Of fresh deaths, the highest is reported from Maharashtra (423). Tamilnadu reports 89 deaths.| Live Mint
ICMR Issues Advisory Allowing Testing on Demand for COVID-19
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) issued an advisory “testing on demand” that is all individuals undertaking travel must certainly test negative for COVID-19. It also suggested that 100% of the people living in containment zones should be tested by rapid antigen. The ICMR also stressed that no emergency procedure should be delayed for lack of tests. Testing has been divided into routine surveillance in containment zones and screening at points of entry, routine surveillance in non-containment areas, hospital settings and testing on demand – and choice of test. The ICMR stated that a single RT-PCR/TrueNat/CBNAAT/RAT positive test is to be considered confirmatory, without any repeat testing, and no re-testing is recommended.| The Wire
PUBLIC HEALTH
“Disinfection tunnels have no scientific validity” – Public Health Experts
Public health experts state that the disinfection tunnels set up across various places in Kerala wouldn’t be of much use in breaking the COVID-19 transmission. Mere spraying of disinfectants in the tunnels would only increase false security among people. However, a disinfection gateway designed by Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology in Trivandrum aims at reducing the risk of microbes when a person enters a private place from a public area. These gateways use only 0.5% of hydrogen peroxide unlike the tunnels and have been declared scientific and usable by the Chief Minister of Kerala. Nevertheless, these disinfection pathways are of no match to the usage of masks and social distancing practices. |The Hindu
Lifestyle
Working mothers are drastically impacted by the pandemic, finds a new survey
“We must learn to live with the virus”. This statement has been repeated several times by global leaders, scientists, and physicians across the world. We are nine months into the pandemic and it’s become amply clear that the pandemic is ravaging the health of billions of individuals across the world. While countries slowly open up their economic activities and lift the restrictions, they are realizing that COVID-19 has already done the damage. The pandemic is immensely impacting working women. In the middle of the increasing demands of the workplace and being the first caretaker of the youngsters, working mothers are particularly hard hit by the crisis. The corporate and work-culture must practice more compassion during these testing times and perhaps even renew their practices, especially keeping the working mothers in mind.| Times of India
Coronavirus: How the pandemic has changed our perception of time
Fundamental experiences like space and time were influenced by the pandemic as our mobility was severely restricted and our temporal agency was deprived. ‘Enforced presentism’, as termed by anthropologist Jane Guyer, is making the people trick time with their creativity. We are slowing and speeding it up based on our needs. In capitalism, a similar situation was faced, when neo-liberal reforms made people fall back in highly accelerating money flows, ideas, and commodities. There was a lack of foresight among people. To overcome this, urban governments have to reclaim the future planning, rather than responding to the events, which should be applied to our status quo as well.| The Conversation
RESEARCH
NO correlation between Ct values and PCR severity
The PCR test amplifies the genetic material from Coronavirus through multiple cycles. Since Coronavirus has RNA, it is first converted into DNA, and each cycle of amplification doubles the amount of DNA. These RT-PCR tests can tell if a person is infected with the novel Coronavirus or not. It does not reveal the amount of virus (viral load in scientific parlance) present in the person. Tthere is a relationship between the cycle threshold value and the probability of shedding an infectious virus, the lower the number the higher the likelihood. A low Ct value indicates a higher viral load, and this may be correlated to a person being more able to transmit the virus (infectious). However, there is no proper evidence to establish the correlation of disease severity and Ct value.| The Hindu
COVID-19 patients may have prolonged stomach infections: Scientists
COVID-19 patients have active and prolonged gut viral infection, even in the absence of symptoms say, scientists. It may continue to infect and replicate in the digestive tract even after clearing the airways, say researchers. According to another research, it is proved that SARS-CoV spreads mainly through respiratory droplets. These findings highlight the importance of long-term Coronavirus and health surveillance and the threat of potential fecal-oral viral transmissions. The Stool test is considered to be accurate and safe for screening according to various regulators.| Live Mint
COVID-19 antibodies, virus can exist in children simultaneously
Researchers from the Children’s National Hospital have found that both COVID-19 antibodies and viruses could co-exist in young patients. This means that children could still transmit the virus even if the antibodies are detected. Researches are set out now to study this fact with further understanding. The timing of viral clearance and the immunologic response was assessed during the study as well. It revealed that the time required to completely destroy the virus is 25 days while the antibodies take up to 36 days to reach the maximum level. Though a lot of data is available for adults, there is only less pediatric data. This study further alarms us that we shouldn’t let the guard down on our children.| Times of India
Is India missing COVID-19 deaths?
The Indian Government says that the national recovery rate has reached 77% and the case fatality rate is down to 1·8%, due to “timely and effective clinical management of the patients in critical care”. ICMR stipulate that deaths of people with suspected or probable COVID-19 should be included in mortality data, based on WHO ICD-10 codes for COVID-19-related deaths. Among the deaths registered under the civil registration system, only 22% are medically certified nationally with the cause of death. In several states, many of the ‘missing’ deaths were added later on to the tally after audits.| The Lancet
EDUCATION
Furious students begin taking “life changing” exams
The JEE is a hugely competitive exam. Many students have rebelled against these tests, pointing towards India’s growing COVID-19 caseload – the country has recorded 3.8 million cases so far, hitting the world’s highest daily totals in recent days. Students even took their skepticisms to court, but the Supreme Court terminated their plea, saying that “the career of the students cannot be put on peril for long and a full academic year cannot be wasted. Most of us are primarily concerned about our health and our family’s health” says Ms Tripathi, who is putting up with the NEET examination along with 1.5 million others. The NTA has documented the elaborate safety measures it is taking, from sanitising the examination centres before and after the exams, to providing masks and gloves for students. Additional arrangements include preventing staggered entry, temperature checks and social distancing inside and outside the centres.| BBC
Government issues SOP for a partial reopening of schools
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued detailed guidelines for reopening schools for students of classes 9 to 12 on a voluntary basis starting from September 21. Every school before reopening must sanitize the classroom and premises completely. Thermal guns at gates for temperature checks and masks are mandatory for all. Schools turned to quarantine centers that must undergo deep cleaning. Schools would reopen at 50 % capacity and online classes would continue. Students would have the option of attending classes virtually or physically. Students need written permission from their parents to attend school. Mess and canteens would remain closed and crowding is not allowed. Face masks disposed of should be sent for recycling in 3 days of disposal.| Economic Times
BUSINESS
Etihad to provide COVID-19 insurance to passengers to boost travel confidence
Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways said it would cover medical and quarantine costs for passengers if they contract the new Coronavirus after travelling on one of its flights. Airlines around the world are trying to find ways to stimulate demand that has been shattered by the pandemic and expected to take years to recover. Medical costs of up to 150,000 euros ($177,000) and quarantine costs of up to 100 euro a day for 14 days will be covered by Etihad for its passengers who contract the disease within 31 days of first travel. The COVID-19 cover is included in the airfare of tickets for travel until the end of the year, valid around the world and is being offered in partnership with insurance firm AXA.| Live Mint
ENVIRONMENT
The entanglement of Coronavirus for the environment
COVID-19, a silver lining for nature. This article highlights the views of Andrew Kowalczuk; a green technology engineer and former biomedical researcher during his interview. Coronavirus lockdown reveals long-unseen Indian skylines. Not just in India’s national capital but everywhere in the country. The environmentalist endorsed the government to treat it as a “wake-up call” for nature to get back to its form. The intense work on deciphering Coronavirus genomics, epidemiology, and vaccines, has given more urgency and openness to international cooperation than ever before. Nature is seen thriving in the times of Quarantine. As humans are retreating, nature seems to reclaim their spaces.| Business Standard
Connections between COVID-19 and the environment
Extant scientists around the nation are constrained to their residences during the COVID-19 pandemic, Earth-observing satellites continue to orbit and send back portrayals that indicate the relation between the pandemic and the atmosphere. Detectives as they analyze how COVID-19 lockdown gauges are influencing the environment and how the setting can affect how the virus is dissipated. looking to satellite pictures to enable indicate how COVID-19 lockdown gauges are influencing nutrition security, fire ecology, urban surface heat, mists and warming, air pollution and moisture, and water integrity and oceanic ecosystems. This year was looking to be a moderately natural year for productions until the pandemic and associated lockdown strategies transpired. | NASA
Environmental sustainability and well-being for a better recovery?
The pandemic threatens to reverse the progress of the country made between the years 2006 and 2016, where 271 million people were lifted out of multidimensional poverty. Moreover, gains on food security, nutrition and education are also under severe threat. The India Map is being developed with Invest India, the government’s investment promotion agency, in consultation with leading institutional investors. To encourage enterprises to take meaningful steps towards climate action or gender equality, a form of Pay for Success includes loans. This is not just for short term recovery efforts, but rather a wonderful opportunity for each country to value its wealth of human and natural resources for generations to come.| Times Now
Where can we get authentic information about Coronavirus?
KARE COVID-19 Response
KARE is now supporting the front-line workers through local government by providing Food, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) & sanitizers made in-house at the Kumaraguru Institutions. KARE is also connecting the farmers with communities who would required vegetables in bulk.
KARE COVID-19 Response So Far
- 43038 Cooked meals
- 2259 Volunteering hours clocked
- 10 Tons of Vegetables transacted so far
- 28+ Number of Farmers impacted so far
- 500 kg Rice
- 1300 Liquid sanitizer packs
- 2500 Masks
- ₹ 4,95,141 Funds Raised
- ₹ 6,50,000 Funds Spent
- 57000+ Lives Impacted
Impact areas:
Chinnavedampatti, Saravanampatty, Vellaikinar, Sathyamangalam, Sulthanpet, Paapampatti, Sulur, Thondamuthur, Narasipuram, Kangayam, Coimbatore & Pollachi.
TO MAKE A DONATION
KARE Bank Account Details
Account name: KCT KARE
Account number: 1245155000078376
Bank: Karur Vysya Bank
Branch: KCT Extension Counter
IFSC: KVBL0001245
Bank address: Kumaraguru College of Technology, Chinnavedampatti,Coimbatore – 641036
