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 – Global fight against a virus

COVID-19
 
Active Cases
 
Recovered
 
Casualties 
 
India1,152,84412,097,146169,525
World23,736,571109,553,2142,941,799

The above graph depicts the status of the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive as of April 10,2021. So far, the total number of vaccinations has crossed 101 million. |Prof. Shamika Ravi

The graph above shows the total number of COVID-19 cases across the country. A high positivity rate is seen in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chandigarh, Kerala, Delhi, Punjab and Chhattisgarh. |Prof. Shamika Ravi

VACCINE & TESTING

COVID-19 vaccination for all not possible right now: Centre explains why

In the wake of the ongoing demand from several quarters that COVID-19 vaccination should be open to all those above 18 years, the Centre cleared its stand on inoculation drive. The basic aim is to reduce death through vaccination. The other aim is to protect your healthcare system, said the Health Secretary. The aim is never to administer the vaccine to those who want it but to those who need it.  All citizens above 18 years of age shall be permitted to receive COVID-19 vaccination and walk-in COVID-19 vaccination should be available for all, free of cost at their nearest possible place, said the Body.| Live Mint

Maharashtra hit hard by COVID-19

Maharashtra has been reporting the most number of daily infections nationally for weeks. The state accounts for nearly a quarter of India’s 12.7 million Coronavirus infections. Moreover, the hospitals in Maharashtra are running short of beds, piped oxygen, and a key antiviral drug owing to the second wave of Coronavirus infections that has swamped the state. To slow the spread of the disease, Maharashtra has imposed a night curfew for the rest of the month. Healthcare experts say that, the current situation has become much, much worse than the September wave. |Live Mint

COVID-19 vaccination dos and don’ts

Following are the protocols for getting vaccination: Pregnant and lactating mothers are advised not to take the vaccine and people with allergies to specific medications should get a clearance certificate from a doctor  before vaccination. Also, people who were infected with Coronavirus in the last one-and-a-half months or have received blood plasma therapy or monoclonal antibodies must refrain from taking the vaccine. The Union Health Ministry says that there is no evidence of alcohol impairing the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine, so it (alcohol) can be consumed even after. Protective levels of antibodies generally develop two-three weeks after receiving the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Thus, it is absolutely necessary to continue following COVID-19 appropriate behaviour like wearing masks, maintain social distancing and hand sanitisation. |India Today

RESEARCH

COVID-19 patients can be categorised into three groups, say scientists. 

According to the researchers, including those from the University of Minnesota in the US, the study included 7,538 patients with confirmed COVID-19 between March 7 and August 25, 2020, of which 1,022 patients required hospitalisation. The study reported that, 173 patients, or 16.9 percent presented with “phenotype III,” or the “favourable phenotype,” which the scientists said was associated with the best clinical outcomes. Patients do not suffer from COVID-19 in a uniform matter. By identifying similarly affected groups, we not only improve our understanding of the disease process, but this enables us to precisely target future interventions to the highest risk patients.| Deccan Herald

COVID-19 vaccine immunity

Even as millions of people get themselves vaccinated, the question about the COVID-19 vaccine’s immunity still lingers along. The COVID-19 vaccine revs up the body’s immune response against SARS-CoV-2 infection, and develops antibodies that provide lasting immunity for the future. Researchers involved in the phase 3 trial of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines said that the immunization is prevalent for at least 6 months in vaccinated people. However, at the current stage it is important that we continue wearing well-fitted masks and practice social distancing. | Times of India

How does the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine work?

Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is made from the modified and weakened version of adenovirus from chimpanzees. Once injected, the body’s immune system is taught to fight the real virus. The genes for the spike protein are taken  from the surface of the Coronavirus and is put into a harmless virus to make a vaccine. The injected vaccine enters the cells and produces spike proteins. The bodies in one system, in turn, react by producing antibodies that activate T cells to destroy virus causing cells using spike protein. |BBC

Carbon dioxide levels reflect COVID-19 risk

According to a new research from the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, tracking the indoor carbon dioxide levels is an inexpensive and powerful way to monitor the risk of COVID-19. In any indoor environment, when excess carbon dioxide levels double, the risk of transmission also roughly doubles, the scientists report. Infectious people exhale airborne viruses at the same time as they exhale carbon dioxide. That means Carbon dioxide can serve as a “proxy” for the number of viruses in the air. Therefore, to minimize risk of infection, the Carbon dioxide levels in all the spaces where we share air should be kept as low as practically possible.| Science Daily

EDUCATION

Going back to school during a pandemic

Returning to school after a prolonged community lockdown and the absence from school premises can be exciting as well as taxing for many children. The mixed feeling resulting from not being allowed to interact freely even after entering the school premises may lead to anger, frustration and anxiety, which may further lead to non-compliance of protocols that have been laid out in schools. Another fairly important communiqué should address the “importance of festivities and how to celebrate without being lax on public health compliances.” Finally, the spread of highly infectious diseases like COVID-19 is determined by the way agents, host and environmental factors interact and vaccinations alone do not offer active immunisation to populations. Thus the disclosure of proper guidelines and schools to abide the rules is very essential. | Times of India

ECONOMY

The Indian Economy’s resilience: struggling against COVID-19

Although there has been a surge in the COVID-19 cases, there has been several evidence of the economy resiliently recovering. According to the Monthly Economic Review for March 2021 released by the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA),  the agricultural sector has produced 303.3 million tonnes of food grains beating record production levels for the fifth consecutive year in a row. The rural economy generated an all-time high employment of 383.8 crore person. The monthly GST collections obtained all-time record levels in March, since its inception. Strengthening in demand conditions could be clearly seen in auto sales and power consumption. Fears of local restrictions and lockdowns too have grown which may impact business and economic activities. |Business Standard

Projection of stronger global recovery from COVID-19 – The IMF

In the World Economic Outlook, the IMF projects a stronger recovery for the global economy compared to January forecast with growth projected to be 6% in 2021 and 4.4% in 2022 , after an estimated historic contraction of -3.3 percent in 2020. The United States is the only large economy projected to surpass the level of GDP. These divergent recovery paths are likely to create wider gaps in living standards across countries compared to pre-pandemic expectations. Uneven recoveries are also occurring within countries as young, women and lower-skilled workers remain more heavily affected. It is emerging markets and low-income countries that are expected to suffer greater scarring given their more limited policy space. |World Economic Forum

MENTAL HEALTH

1/3 COVID-19 survivors face neuro or mental health issues

One in three COVID-19 survivors received a neurological or psychiatric diagnosis within six months of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, an observational study of more than 230,000 patient health records estimates. The estimated incidence of being diagnosed with a neurological or mental health disorder following COVID-19 infection was 34%. Although the individual risks are small, the effect across the whole population may be substantial for health and social care systems due to the scale of the pandemic and that many of these conditions are chronic. |Indian Express

Mental health problems to be next contagion after COVID-19

According to a study issued by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), mental health issues caused by the crisis would be the next pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people’s health, but also their personal goals, their family dynamics, their role at work and their economic stability. Other factors that deepened this crisis include the modification of family roles, domestic violence, loneliness, grief due to loss of family or friends, generalised anxiety, professional burnout, and post-traumatic stress. People’s mental health has been attacked simultaneously by multiple mechanisms and urgent action is needed. The ISGlobal urged for social protection strategies to combat problems arising from unemployment, the unexpected loss of loved ones, loneliness and isolation, with the guarantee of the provision of basic services and financing social services to help the needy.| National Herald India

TECHNOLOGY

Lessons from the pandemic

The pandemic shook the world in unimaginable ways forcing us to face multiple intersecting emergencies. And, while technology isn’t the primary tool to solve for systemic health and equity, it can play an important role in partnership with government and civil society efforts. To develop modern solutions, it is important that we learn from the past. COVID-19 is not the first global health crisis, hence it is more efficient to leverage existing tools, processes and technologies, and modify them. It is also essential that we know our values and lead with principles-based action and invest upfront to create scalable and repeatable processes. In times of addressing a crisis, multi-stakeholder collaboration is key. |World Economic Forum

TRAVEL

Delhi metro issues new travel rules

The Delhi Government has established new rules and said that the night curfew will be implemented. With this regard, the Delhi metro authorities have released a statement regarding the new rules for travelling during the curfew imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Entry in metro from 10pm to 5am will be allowed only to passengers in the essential category after verification of their valid IDs by DMRC/CISF personnel. Those people who do not fall in the essential category are advised to reach their destination by 10pm. |Live Mint

Where can we get authentic information about Coronavirus?

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KARE COVID-19 Response So Far

43038 Cooked meals
2279 Volunteering hours clocked.
10 Tons of Vegetables transacted so far.
28+ Number of Farmers impacted so far.
555 Helpline Calls.
500 Grocery Kits & 500 kg Rice
50+ hours of student mentoring & 8 Gadgets
1400 Liquid sanitizer packs
5500 Masks
₹ 4,95,141 Funds Raised.
₹ 6,50,000 Funds Spent.
63000+ 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
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Branch: KCT Extension Counter
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